


On Her Own

by SailorSilverLadybug



Category: Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon (Anime & Manga)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-06
Updated: 2019-04-27
Packaged: 2019-11-13 00:50:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 85,479
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18021707
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SailorSilverLadybug/pseuds/SailorSilverLadybug
Summary: Sailor Moon faces a hard choice. The other girls, both in ordinary and Senshi life, are treating her unkindly, and worse, failing to back her in a fight. (AU) She makes the decision to leave the group and go back to fighting on her own hoping that when they realize what they've done they will come back to her. Her masked hero, Tuxedo Kamen, sees that she fights alone...





	1. Prologue: Hints of Heartache

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon, the original storyline, or the canon characters. Any non-canon characters, as well as the changed storyline, however, are mine to use. I will not receive any monetary gain from this work.
> 
> Author's Notes: This story starts off mostly anime, but very quickly I am going to be throwing manga in there. For instance, the Dark Generals… manga all the way. However, the way the other girls act, especially Rei, is going to be very like the anime in the beginning (though a bit worse). You'll notice some of my own characters, or slightly altered characters appearing. Again, a more angst-ridden piece than some of my other stories. But this one is near and dear to my heart, so please be kind.
> 
> Also… This is a first for me… a chaptered fic told entirely from Usagi's POV. Please tell me what you think.

Tsukino Usagi ran as fast as she could, her heart pounding in her chest as the sound of her footfalls echoed the heavy thumping she could almost hear. 'Stupid dreams,' she thought wildly, wishing she understood what was happening to her. She was running late for the second time that week, and she was sure Haruna-sensei would blow a gasket.

Ever since she had become Sailor Moon her night life had become a mess of Youma battles, nightmares, patrols… and the other Senshi.

In the beginning it hadn't been so bad, except for a pessimistic cat who was no help in telling her how to fight the terrifying monsters that sucked energy out of everyone and tried to kill her on a regular basis. Okay, maybe it sucked, but at least she'd had a caped hero swooping in to save her, and her best friend Naru to remind her every day what she was fighting for. The girl drew the Dark Kingdom like flowers drew bees, and fighting for her was enough for Usagi.

But after Mercury had come along things had changed. She wasn't so bad really. But Luna seemed to think that Usagi should have straight A's because Ami did. And that was ridiculous. Mizuno Ami was an actual blue-haired blue-eyed genius… and Usagi, well, even before becoming Sailor Moon she hadn't been the best student.

That thought gave her a mental laugh. No, she was late for school on average once a week even before she transformed into a superhero. And tests… they were the bane of her existence. Usagi did not test well. It wasn't that she was unintelligent… she just got distracted so easily.

Then came Mars. Hino Rei. A miko; a shrine maiden with beautiful raven hair and gorgeous amethyst eyes. And she had powers even before she became Sailor Mars. She was intelligent, poised, wise… Everything Usagi couldn't seem to be. She also wanted to be the leader, and had a crush on the one guy who teased Usagi.

Rei and Mars. Both aspects of her friend seemed to be changing in front of her eyes. She didn't understand why the playful teasing had turned into outright hostility and meanness. But it had. And Luna made her feel even worse about it because she teased that Usagi could never be as wise and wonderful as Rei.

Jupiter had come next. Her friend Kino Makoto. She was a tall, striking, gorgeous girl with cinnamon hair and emerald green eyes. She was strong as anything, in human form or henshin, and she could bake and sew and take care of plants. Not to mention knowing several forms of martial arts. She was funny too.

Usagi wished she could be like her friend. But there was nothing strong about her, and she was clumsy and pathetic besides. Luna said she didn't even try, but Usagi knew it wasn't true. She did try. All the time. It just wasn't enough.

And then there were the fights against the Dark Kingdom.

The night before had been awful. When Sailor Moon had arrived to the scene she had immediately launched into battle. She had only gotten hit once before she had taken out the Youma and it had been a good shot, but that wasn't good enough for Mars. She'd yelled and screamed at her, telling her she wasn't there fast enough. And people had been watching. A lot of people. Not just the other Senshi, but the people they were there to save. And her masked hero, Tuxedo Kamen. She wondered if he would hate her now.

There wasn't even any way to defend herself. The moment she'd tried to explain, Mercury and Jupiter had jumped in and said she wasn't trying hard enough. It wasn't that she wasn't trying. She just hadn't been able to escape the moment the communicator beeped. She'd been in the middle of a family dinner, at the table, and when she'd asked to be excused her parents had told her no because they needed to explain the rules to Usagi and Shingo for when they would be out of town.

Suddenly her thoughts were interrupted as she ran full force into something very hard. And warm. And muscular. Damn… not him again. Even as she fell to the ground she mentally screamed, 'not Mamoru-baka.'

Chiba Mamoru. Her arch-nemesis and an all around jerk… that she just happened to be half in love with. It made insulting him difficult but Usagi loved a challenge. He'd been picking on her since the moment they met, and while most of his insults weren't that bad, sometimes he hit a nerve that had just been chewed on by her friends.

"Odango Atama," he yelled, staring down at her, a frown marring his features. "Why can't you look where you're going?" he asked.

She glared up at him. "Thanks for the hand up," she muttered sarcastically. "No, no… Don't fuss yourself. I'm perfectly happy hitting the concrete while you stand there not harmed in the slightest."

She rolled over onto her hands and knees and pushed herself off the ground before picking up her satchel. With a sigh she dusted herself off and tried to edge around him. She was in no mood for their daily argument. Not after the night she'd had.

Mamoru didn't seem inclined to let her go. He grabbed her arm and spun her back to face him. "I am harmed," he said. "I have a permanent indent from your nose in my chest."

Usagi wanted to laugh. It was actually rather humorous. He could be pretty funny at times, but she would never let him know. She jerked her arm to break free, but for all the good it did she might has well just stood still.

"Are you okay?" he asked suddenly.

"Nani?"

There was a brief pause as he stared at her for a moment in complete silence before he spoke. "You look upset Odango," he said quietly. "What's wrong?" He let her go, but stayed close, as though afraid she would bolt.

Shocked at his concern, she felt her jaw drop. She stared at him for a long minute, unsure what to make of his sudden interest in her wellbeing.

"It's not my secret to share," she said when she finally remembered how to speak.

It really wasn't. She couldn't really tell him that Sailor Mars, who happened to also have a crush on him, had screamed at her for ten minutes in front of not only Mercury, Jupiter and Tuxedo Kamen, but also in front of nearly a dozen bystanders and Youma victims.

"Well," Mamoru said after a moment, "just remember, if you need help there are people around who are willing to listen. Even old Mamoru-baka."

Usagi couldn't help herself. She giggled. And then, throwing every ounce of self control out the window, she wrapped her arms around him in a quick hug before dashing away at top speed toward her school.

"Thanks Mamoru!" she shouted as she ran.

'That was strange,' she thought, 'but nice.'

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
She made it into her classroom just as the bell rang. Quickly glancing over at her teacher, she backed toward her seat, hoping not to be noticed as the other students shuffled papers and sat down. The Sensei turned however and caught sight of her. She sucked in a breath, waiting for the inevitable fireworks.

"Usagi-chan!" Haruna-sensei yelled, sounding shocked rather than angry. Usagi looked up at her, startled, wondering what was wrong. Did she have something on her clothing? She thought she'd brushed it all away, but she could have missed something. She peeked down at her skirt, but nothing seemed out of place.

"Yes Sensei?" she asked, still panting. She bowed slightly. "I'm sorry I'm late. I had a bit of a... "

Usagi never got to finish her sentence. Haruna-sensei had rushed over to her and took her gently by the chin, tilting her face carefully.

"What happened Usagi-chan?" she asked, her tone one of barely restrained fury. "Who hit you?"

A flash of the Youma she'd fought the night before crossed her mind and she flinched. She hadn't realized she had a bruise. Luna had been out searching for the Princess, and with her parents out of town there was no one to point it out since Shingo had left for school early.

She tried to think of a lie quickly, but nothing came to mind. So she went with the old standby. "I ran into a wall," she said, trying to keep a straight face. She couldn't show an ounce of emotion or her teacher would know.

"Go to the nurse Usagi," Haruna said quietly. "Please, just go."

"Hie," Usagi said, a feeling of dread overwhelming her. Ami and Makoto were in her class. They would not keep silent about her forgetfulness she was sure. She would hear about it at the meeting, and then probably again from Luna, who hadn't been attending the meetings lately as she focused on her search for the missing princess.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Nurse Ikeda Akemi was used to Usagi's frequent visits. She'd nursed more wounds on Usagi than probably any ten other students, as she hissed to Usagi while holding an ice pack to her face.

"I don't think this was from a wall, Usagi-chan," she added quietly. "And neither does your teacher."

Usagi frowned. "Did I say wall? I meant the cupboard door."

"Is someone hurting you at home?" she asked.

Shocked, Usagi gaped at her. "Of course not!" she said, feeling angry and defensive. "My parents love me."

"I'm sure they do Usagi," the nurse said quietly. "Is it a boyfriend then?"

"I'm not old enough to date," Usagi replied, frowning again.

The nurse laughed. "Of course you are Usagi. You're almost fifteen."

"Oh," was the only response Usagi could find.

"Is there a student bullying you?" she asked. "Someone who makes you feel bad about yourself, or who doesn't treat you nicely?"

An image of the other Senshi flashed in her mind. The way Rei yelled at her, and Ami frowned at her, and Makoto loomed over her. She shuddered and banished the thought. "No," she whispered.

"Listen Usagi, I don't know who it is that's hurting you, but it has to stop. If you won't tell us who it is, then at least avoid the person if you can. Get them out of your life if possible. You deserve to be treated kindly. You deserve to be happy."

"Okay," Usagi nodded.

She would do her best to avoid the other Senshi until she got better. When they had nothing to complain about then they wouldn't have to yell at her anymore. She would study harder, train longer, and work better than ever before. She would improve her skills and then maybe things could go back to the way they had been.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
She could almost feel Naru's intent gaze on her back throughout the morning. When the bell rang for lunch Usagi hurried toward her locker, wanting to get out of the room before her best friend ambushed her.

"Usagi, what happened?" Naru asked, racing to her side.

She looked over at her red-haired friend. They had been close since their first day of school more than seven years before, and though there was a bit of distance outside of school, she would rather hang out with Naru than anyone else at school.

"I had another klutz attack," Usagi lied.

Naru gave her 'the look,' and Usagi knew her friend saw right through her, but Luna had stressed from day one that anyone she told would be in danger. So she kept her silence, even though the occasional hurt look in Naru's eyes tore at her.

"I promise I'm fine," she said. "Come on, let's go outside."

Naru grabbed her bento box and the two girls changed into their shoes before heading out into the bright sunshine. It was a beautiful day. The birds were singing and small animals were about, searching for food. She saw squirrels chasing each other up and down the trunks of the trees and giggled.

"Is Umino taking you out this weekend?" Usagi asked.

She had more than one reason to find out. Naru was an absolute magnet for Negaverse activity. If her friend got excited about something new, Usagi always tried to get there first so she could take out whatever Youma was parading around looking human and stealing energy.

"We're staying in to have a movie marathon," Naru confessed. "All the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings movies. Fully dubbed," she said excitedly. "I've never seen them and Umino is borrowing them from Yukio.

"That sounds like fun," Usagi said enthusiastically.

She could feel eyes on her and turned to see Ami and Makoto staring from a bench across the grassy area. She averted her gaze, not ready to face them yet. She knew they had a right to be angry with her, but she didn't want to be yelled at while she was still at school. Her heart clenched at the thought.

"Are you really okay Usagi?" Naru asked in a quiet voice.

Usagi nodded her head. "I am. I just had a rough couple of days and I didn't get much sleep so I walked into a cupboard door."

Naru frowned and opened her bento box. "Fried shrimp again," she muttered. "I really have to stop letting Umino make me food.

Usagi's stomach revolted. They smelled awful. Naru shrugged and closed her lunch back over. "Don't you have anything today?"

"No, I forgot it. My parents aren't home this weekend, and I didn't get up early enough to make lunch."

"Sorry Usagi-chan," Naru said, patting her on the shoulder.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
"Usagi, please stay behind for a moment," Haruna-sensei called. The bell was just about to ring, and Usagi was worried she would be late to the Senshi meeting. She didn't need to be yelled at for three things in one day.

"Yes Sensei," she said with her head bowed respectfully.

"Usagi-chan," her teacher said in a quiet voice a few minutes later. "I know you're lying to me." The classroom doors were both closed, and Haruna seemed determined. And angry.

Usagi looked up in shock.

"You aren't that clumsy Usagi," Haruna-sensei continued. "You forget, I've been your teacher twice now. I had you in seventh grade English as well. I know you didn't have as many 'falls' last year."

Usagi wasn't sure what to say, so she didn't say anything at all.

"And your grades have gotten so bad in the past few weeks that I'm really concerned you might not pass the class. Not just English, but math as well."

Usagi gulped. She didn't realize she was doing that horribly.

"I have a feeling someone is hurting you. I'm not going to pressure you to tell me, but I want you to know that when you are ready to talk, I'm here."

Tears stung her eyes as she lifted her head to look at her teacher gratefully. "Thank you," she whispered.

"Now, I want you to find someone who can help you study. Try to learn the information a different way and maybe it will stick. I have a packet for you that you can use to work through what we've learned and what we are going to learn. I don't want you to fail Usagi. I'd really like to have you in ninth grade English with your friends next year."

"Arigato," Usagi said, bowing her head.

"Your math teacher also has a packet, and he's given it to me to give to you. When will your parents be back?"

"Next Monday," Usagi said, trying not to sniffle. She really didn't want her teacher talking to her parents. It was hard enough keeping her secret as it was.

"Until then, if you need someplace safe to go, you can come to me," Haruna said, and slid a piece of paper across the desk. "I mean it Usagi-chan. I don't know who is hurting you, but you don't deserve it."

"Thank you," Usagi whispered, a lump in her throat. Haruna dismissed her and she quickly walked out of the classroom, keeping her head down as she headed to the shrine. She paused and unfolded the paper. On it was a phone number and address. Underneath it said, 'Just in case.' Grateful tears sprang to her eyes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
"How could you be so careless?"

"Don't you care at all?"

"Why don't you take your responsibilities seriously?"

"What's wrong with you?"

"No sense of duty."

"A real joke."

"You're a real baka."

"Learn some responsibility."

The words echoed in Usagi's head as she walked, her head bowed even lower than before. She hadn't meant to make the mistake, but nevertheless, it was done. More than forty minutes had passed while the other girls berated her not just about the fight, but about her forgetting to cover up the evidence.

Her friends might have considered that she was running on two hours of sleep a night, that her parents weren't home and she hadn't so much as eaten that day. She wished they'd thought about what it was like to be the only one to have to get close to every Youma. How easy it was to forget she was hurt, because she was always hurt.

With a sigh she looked at the arcade, sparkling like a beacon of hope in the distance. Her Motoki-onii-san, and her Mamoru-baka would be there. They didn't know she was a Senshi. They wouldn't berate her for that at least. And Motoki was always nice anyway.

She thought about how Mamoru had acted that morning. He'd been nice. Said she could come to him. She wondered if maybe he would be willing to help her study. It was worth a shot.

Usagi was determined to get better. Not just at school work. She was going to become a better Senshi. She was going to do everything she could to protect the people of Tokyo. And she was going to make the other Senshi proud. Resolved, she hurried toward the arcade.

She wished Shingo wasn't spending the night at a friend's house. She would have to eat dinner at the arcade. The food was good, but she would have to use part of her allowance. At least she wouldn't have to cook, which was probably the very reason Shingo chose to go away for the night.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
"Mamoru?" Usagi said tentatively, sitting on the stool beside him. She didn't meet his gaze, or look over at Motoki. Either one of them might say something about her face.

"Hey Odango," he said, not in his normal teasing manner, but with a gentle tone, as though speaking to a wounded animal. Usagi sighed. Now that she knew about the bruise on her face, she understood exactly why he had acted so differently that morning.

Motoki hurried over as soon as her bottom hit the stool. "Usagi-chan," he greeted warmly. "Chocolate shake?"

Usagi nodded. "And a cheeseburger please. My parents are gone for the weekend and I really don't want to try cooking again."

Motoki chuckled. "Took a week to get the smell out," he said, delighted to remember one of her funnier failures. His face took on a serious tone as he 'casually' checked out the bruise on her face. Obviously Mamoru had tattled. She sighed again.

"It's fine nii-san," she said. "I walked into a cupboard door."

Mamoru snorted under his breath, but otherwise kept silent. Motoki slipped the order into the kitchen window before turning to make her milkshake. Usagi leaned her elbows on the counter and turned to Mamoru.

"Mamoru?" she asked again. "Can I ask you a favor?"

He turned his full attention on her, staring at her for several long seconds. She felt lost in his eyes. The deep blue pulled her in and she wouldn't have minded drowning.

"What is it Odango?" he asked gently.

"My teacher…" Usagi sighed, unsure she should really be asking him for help.

"Do you need help with school?" he asked.

Usagi nodded. "Just math and English," she whispered. "I haven't been doing well lately. I know a lot, but when it comes time to do the tests I just get lost." Making the admission to the boy who had teased her so often was difficult, but this time he didn't comment.

"I'll help you on one condition," he said quietly.

"What is it?" she asked, cautiously.

"I want your promise that if you're ever in real trouble, you'll come to me."

Usagi bit her lip, thinking through the possible ramifications of a promise like that. Some types of trouble she wouldn't be able to turn to him for. But if she separated her life as a Senshi from that of a normal girl and only promised for the Usagi part of her life, she could keep the promise.

With a small smile she stuck out her hand. "Deal," she said.

A few minutes later she was sneaking bites of her cheeseburger between problems on the worksheet, Mamoru leaning over her, helping her work through them. She couldn't help enjoying the mixed scents of coffee and roses.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Sailor Moon struggled to rise after the third hit. The Youma, which had ten long tentacles covered in spikes, continued to swing at her again and again. She held up the moon wand, hoping to keep it at bay, but there was nothing more she could do except roll from one side to the other avoiding attacks. More landed than missed her, and she knew her legs would be covered in bruises and welts.

"Where the heck are they?" she muttered.

A bright red rose pierced one of the long tentacles, making the Youma scream in pain. Strong arms pulled her from the damp grass and a warm body held her close.

"Tuxedo Kamen-sama!" she said breathlessly. "Thank you for saving me."

"Of course," he said in a quiet, calm voice. "Where are the other Senshi?" he asked.

"I don't know," she whispered. "I called them, but there might be another Youma."

Tuxedo Kamen frowned as he leapt to a tree branch. "Do you know where the weakness is?" he asked.

"I'm pretty sure it's the star on its forehead," she said. "It has ten parts like the leg things…"

"Okay, can you hit it from here with your tiara?" he asked.

Sailor Moon nodded. Her tiara was the one real skill she had.

Suddenly the other Senshi appeared on the edge of the grassy area and Sailor Moon frowned when she realized they were walking. None of them appeared out of breath or injured. They just hadn't come when she called.

"Moon!" screamed Mars. "Get your butt out of that tree and do your job!"

Sailor Moon ignored the fire Senshi and threw her tiara as planned. It took a moment to realize the attack had worked. The Youma slowly disintegrated, collapsing in on itself before becoming a pile of dust.

Tuxedo Kamen stayed on the branch when Sailor Moon jumped down to meet the others. She stumbled again and realized her ankle was swollen. She would probably need to keep it elevated the rest of the night. She could already feel the bruises forming over her legs and hips.

With a sigh, she moved forward slowly, limping carefully across the grass toward the girls. "Where were you?" she asked.

"We thought we'd show you what it was like when people don't arrive to a battle on time," Mars said angrily.

Sailor Moon gasped. "You did this on purpose?" she asked.

"What? Couldn't you handle it?" Mars asked.

"The Youma is dusted," she said finally, "but if Tuxedo Kamen hadn't shown up when he did I might not be here to speak to you right now."

"See," Mercury said. "That's the problem. You always rely on the rest of us to save you. You can't handle this by yourself. One day you're going to get yourself, or one of us, killed."

"You need to work harder," Jupiter said. "You don't take this seriously enough."

Sailor Moon didn't speak. Her heart ached. She had tried telling them the night before, and then again at the shrine that afternoon. It wasn't her choice to be late. She couldn't very well run out on her parents in the middle of a conversation, especially after she had been told no. And it wasn't fair to judge her for needing help when they couldn't take out Youma on their own either. Unfortunately, they hadn't listened.

She sighed and turned away, not willing to say anything more.

"Don't walk away," Mars said angrily. "You're supposed to be the leader."

She turned back and stared at Mars. The other girl's eyes glittered with anger. There was no friendship left in them.

"If you had bothered to let me speak," Sailor Moon said, a hint of her frustration showing through, "you would have known I couldn't have gotten to the battle yesterday any sooner than I did because my parents wouldn't let me leave until they finished talking to my brother and I. You also would have known I ran the entire way, praying that none of you got hurt in my absence. You would have known how horrible I felt about it, and how worried I was. But you didn't let me talk. And how can you talk about me not taking out a Youma alone, when you don't either? We're supposed to be a team. For tonight, I'm done listening to you. We need a break before one of us says something we might regret."

Again she turned away, ignoring the muttered, "bitch," that came from her 'friend' Mars. Head hung low, she began the long walk home. She was too heartbroken to run. Her ankle throbbed painfully, and she was exhausted.

The others ran off before she'd even crossed the field. She sank down onto the nearest bench, put her head in her hands, and cried.

A few minutes passed, her sobs the only sound that broke the silence of the night. And then the bench creaked as someone sat next to her. She gasped and looked over to see Tuxedo Kamen sitting beside her. His eyes were visible, but half his face was covered with the white domino mask. Mouth turned down in a frown, he turned to face her and rested his hand on her leg gently.

"It's been a rough couple of days for you hasn't it?" he asked.

Sailor Moon could only nod.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked.

"I wouldn't even know what to say," she admitted. "I'm a total failure as a Senshi. I have klutz attacks, cry, get hurt all the time, and can't even get to the battles when I need to. They all hate me, and I don't even blame them."

Tuxedo Kamen gave a harsh laugh. "Don't!" he ordered.

"Nani?" she asked, unsure how she had angered him.

"You haven't cried, screamed, or run away from a battle in months," he started, putting up one finger as though to tick off points. "You get hurt because you have to get closer to the Youma sometimes, and because you have taken hits that by rights your friends should have taken." A second finger stood up. "You don't have klutz attacks nearly as often as you used to, and as for getting to battles, from what I heard, you had no choice yesterday." The last two fingers marked his arguments.

Sailor Moon shook her head. "But I'm still not good enough," she whispered. "For them it's like breathing. For me it's work. I didn't know any attacks when I started, and I have to practice all the time, and none of them want to help me."

"It isn't instinctive for me either," he admitted. "I actually started taking classes to learn martial arts and basic gymnastics to duck and dodge and roll so I wouldn't be a burden in a fight."

"You take classes?" she asked, surprised.

"I do," he admitted. "And I practice my other skills as much as I can without drawing attention to myself. I can make more than just roses now. I can make vines too, and I can actually bring just about any plant back to life."

"Wow."

"I feel like there's something more inside me. Just under the surface," he continued. "Perhaps an attack more like yours or the other Senshi's. But I haven't gotten there yet. I've had no one to teach me."

Sailor Moon smiled. "I at least had Luna tell me to use my tiara. It must be hard without help."

"It is. How about you and I help each other. Once or twice a week we can meet and train. What do you think?"

"You would really do that for me?" she asked.

"For both of us," he corrected. "I think you can help me with my attacks, and I can help you with your combat skills."

Sailor Moon held out her hand. "Then it's a deal. We help each other."

"Thank you," he whispered. "Do you need me to carry you somewhere?" he asked, pointing to her ankle.

"Maybe, if you could get me close to home I could go the last bit myself." She didn't mistrust him as Luna and the other Senshi did.

He stood and bent to pick her up, wrapping his cloak around her. A moment later she was pointing him in the right direction. She settled in, comfortable and warm, enjoying the smell of roses and coffee.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Luna was waiting when Usagi finally trudged up the stairs. She opened her bedroom door and limped to her closet, pulling out the first aid kit she kept hidden there. The little black cat stared hard at her, not speaking while Usagi took off her sock and looked at her ankle.

She popped a few ibuprofen and snapped one of the ice packs before shaking it for a minute. Once a single layer of the ace bandage was over her ankle she put the ice pack over it and wrapped the bandage around it, sighing in relief.

Moving to the bed, she propped her foot up on a stuffed animal and leaned back against the pillow. Luna continued to follow her with her eyes. Usagi met her gaze for only a second before looking at her own hands, which were clasped tightly together in her lap.

"You are the most irresponsible…" Usagi tuned out. She'd heard the speech before. Obviously Luna had heard Rei's version of events. She waited until the cat ran down and then sighed.

"Let me tell you what really happened," Usagi started.

"What really happened? Are you calling Rei a liar? I knew you were irresponsible but this is a new low, even for you!" Luna screamed.

"Luna!" Usagi yelled. "How about actually listening to me for once!" Usagi was panting with the effort of speaking out, but it didn't matter.

"If you can't take responsibility for your own actions then you don't even deserve to be Sailor Moon!" Luna shrieked. "I don't know why I bothered to make you the leader."

"Luna listen!" Usagi shouted, angry now. "You obviously don't know the whole story. You weren't here last night when…"

Again she was cut off. "When it's three against one, I don't need your version!" she shouted.

"My parents wouldn't let me leave!" Usagi finally screamed.

"What?" Luna stopped and looked at Usagi.

"When the communicator went off, I asked to be excused, but my parents said no. They wanted to go over the rules for me and Shingo until they get back. I tried to tell the girls that last night, and then again today, but they wouldn't listen. And to 'teach me a lesson,' they purposely didn't come running to the battle. If Tuxedo Kamen hadn't been there I would have been hurt much worse."

Luna frowned. "That still doesn't change the fact that you went to school with a bruise on your face," Luna said. "And you didn't come straight home after the meeting."

"I did forget the bruise. I'll try not to in the future. But as for not coming home, I went to the arcade to eat dinner and do my homework. Or would you rather I tried to cook again?" The comment broke the tension between them as Luna snorted in a very unladylike manner.

They talked for a few minutes, and then Luna left. "I need to continue my search for the Princess," she said quietly.

"Okay. Goodnight Luna."

"Goodnight Usagi."

The little feline leapt out the bedroom window and Usagi stared up at her ceiling. She was thankful Luna had finally listened, but the cat was becoming more and more obsessed with the princess and was forgetting she was a guardian to the girls.

Usagi knew she was no leader, and was a poor excuse for a Senshi. But it would be nice to be given the benefit of the doubt. She sighed heavily, her heart nearly breaking for the friendships that now seemed destined for failure.

"Usagi?" Shingo's timid voice came from her doorway and Usagi turned her head, surprised.

"Shingo! I thought you were spending the night with your friend. Did you at least eat?"

Shingo nodded and came into the room. Moving closer and closer shyly, he made his way to the bed and sat beside her.

"Usagi, I heard everything," he whispered. "I won't tell, I promise. But I couldn't help hearing her when she yelled at you." He bowed his head, whether in shame, respect, or sadness, or some mixture of the them she did not know.

"Shingo," she whispered. "I'm sorry."

"Nani?" he asked, his head coming up quickly as he stared at her. "Why are you sorry?" he asked.

"I know you thought Sailor Moon was cool. And I'm… not."

"You have got to be kidding me," he said, sounding excited now. "This is even better. My sister is a superhero! I think you're just as cool as Sailor V!"

Usagi giggled, feeling much better than she had a few minutes before. "You really think so? I wish I could meet Sailor V. Sometimes I think she must be the Princess Luna has us looking for."

Shingo looked at her legs. Bruises and welts had already begun to form across them and there was more black and blue than healthy skin. "You got hurt pretty bad," he whispered.

"I'm okay," she promised. "I heal really fast, and we have the whole weekend. By Monday I'll be right as rain."

"Do you need anything?" he asked.

"Nope. But I wouldn't mind hanging out with you," she added, not wanting to be alone with her thoughts.

Shingo wiggled his bottom further onto the bed and crossed his legs. "Tell me everything," he said excitedly.


	2. The Breakaway

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I do know that the characters are a bit AU, but they really had to be for this story. I will warn you that I have some Original Characters (OC's) and Altered Characters (AC'S) that will be introduced throughout the story. I really do hope you enjoy what I've done. Please give me a review and tell me what you think!
> 
> I'm going to warn you in advance... only the first two battles of the anime, both of which are spoken of in this chapter, are in order. The others I am mixing around and I will of course be adding fights with my ever growing list of insane Youma creations... and I have come up with some doozies. I really think some of mine are funny. So, you'll notice that things are all out of order... but I think it makes for a more interesting story.

Five Weeks Later...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Sunday Night  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Usagi swallowed the lump in her throat and wrapped her arms tightly around her legs, resting her head, cheek down, on her knee. All the loneliness and despair she felt was becoming overwhelming. Lately it seemed the only time she even smiled was when she was sucking down a chocolate milkshake.

Over the past several months her life had been swiftly turned upside down, and one by one the things she enjoyed were disappearing. Only to be replaced with fear, pain, heartache, and overwhelming exhaustion.

Usagi missed spending time with her old friends. The ones who knew nothing of Youma, or dark generals, or patrolling the city at night. Naru and Umino and all the others she could no longer see except in school. She couldn't even explain why she was cutting them out of her life.

And the dreams… Nearly every night she had dreams now. Not just nightmares about Youma. Dreams of her own death. She could never remember the details. But she remembered the horror she had felt. Something terrible had happened. Something so awful that dying had been a relief.

She traced her fingers down the outside of her calf, touching the wound only just beginning to heal. It would be gone within a day or two, but for now butterfly closures and gauze covered the long cut.

She wished she could smack Rei for that one. She was supposed to be the leader, but Rei never listened to her. And it was catching. The others had begun questioning her commands in battle as well. And tonight, not for the first time, she had been hurt because of it.

She didn't hate being Sailor Moon. It could be a pain, but in the beginning it had been incredible. Becoming friends with Ami, and then Rei and Makoto had been wonderful. She had been able to share her secret life with them and had grown to love them almost overnight.

Somehow things had changed. Little things at first. It started with the three girls, and Luna, picking on her grades. She worked her hardest in the little time she had, but it wasn't enough. And studying with Ami had only made her confusion grow.

In desperation she had turned to her nemesis. And to her surprise, Mamoru had been willing to help. Now her math scores weren't bad and she was really doing well in English. Her grades were higher than they'd been before becoming Sailor Moon. Not that it was good enough. The others constantly harped on her even though she was no longer at risk of failing.

She sighed. If it wasn't her grades it was her klutz attacks. But really, it wasn't like she enjoyed falling on her face, tripping over her own feet, or stumbling over air. Between growing to her final height of 4'11 in the space of six months and the dreams, or sometimes injuries, making her feel fatigued and pained, it was honestly a wonder she didn't fall more.

And the complaints didn't end there. She ate too much or too fast. She talked and laughed too loud. She had the audacity to play video games and have a shake once or twice a week. She sometimes showed up late for meetings due to detention. She enjoyed reading manga... The list continued to grow.

And training. The others didn't need to train, but she did. Almost constantly. They seemed to have picked up their skills by memory while she constantly struggled to learn balance, basic self defense, and hone her skills.

They hated training with her, made her feel bad for asking, and acted like she was stupid because of it. So now she trained alone five days a week, and with Tuxedo Kamen the other two. She wouldn't ask anymore. It was too painful. That was their latest complaint. They assumed she had stopped training altogether, even though her skills continued to improve.

She couldn't convince them that battle strategy was important, so it felt as though she had wasted dozens of hours in the library for no reason. Honestly, she wasn't sure why she bothered anymore. The half dozen books on her desk, next to the binder of hand drawn diagrams, were a waste.

Luna came into the room and gave Usagi another of her long suffering looks. She just knew the feline was about to let loose on her. She didn't say a word to defend herself. There was no point. The cat wouldn't listen to her anyway.

"I don't know how you got hurt this time Usagi," Luna said in a grave voice, "but if you don't shape up you're going to get someone killed."

Usagi's mind went back to the Youma battle she had faced only hours before. The shrieking sounds the creature made as it spat what looked like railroad spikes at the four Senshi who gathered to fight it still rang in her ears. The feel of the spikes whizzing past her head still made her squirm.

She had hollered for Mars to distract the creature so she could get close enough to dust it. Even after several disobeyed orders, she hadn't realized what Mars was doing, or rather not doing, and had leapt forward, charging her tiara. When no fire attacks or ofuda had stopped the constant barrage of spikes, she'd looked behind her to see Mars standing there, arms folded over her chest, glaring at Sailor Moon.

Because there had been no distraction, the Youma was able to dodge her tiara, and by the time she had caught the spinning disk again several spikes were headed her way. Tuxedo Kamen had grabbed her before she could be too seriously injured, but her leg was still caught by one spike that had dragged across her skin tearing jaggedly into her flesh.

She was brought back to the present when Luna continued her speech. "Rei tells me you were awful out there. Running around instead of actually fighting. I am sick of your poor judgement Usagi."

Unable to contain her anger Usagi launched herself from the bed. "Did Rei bother to tell you the only reason I got hurt is because she disobeyed a direct order? Did Ami tell you she was so busy staring at her computer that Makoto couldn't even join the fight and instead had to stand guard while Rei stood there and did nothing?"

"Usagi, stop blaming the others and take responsibility for your actions," Luna said, shaking her head. "I talk to the girls after every battle. They've told me how you sit and do nothing until the Youma is nearly destroyed before you bother to help. Or worse, how you gawk at Tuxedo Kamen instead of paying attention…"

Usagi held up a hand to stop the cat. She had never felt more betrayed. Luna didn't show up at battles anymore. She had become so obsessed with finding the princess that she no longer bothered. And the girls were lying to cover their own behavior.

Usagi knew she had her faults. She wasn't as fast as she could be. Her powers weren't growing as quickly as the other's. In her normal life she was a whiny crybaby, though now it was mostly an act to keep her cover. She constantly fought with Mamoru-baka, who was a bit more friend than enemy after his recent help. She guzzled milkshakes and ate too fast, and was perpetually late.

But as a Senshi she had worked hard to improve. She was rarely the last to a battle anymore. She fought hard, the encouragement of her only male ally ringing in her ears to keep her going strong. She had worked and studied to get better. She trained for hours every day, studied battle strategy, and watched news coverage of their fights so she could see her own weaknesses in order to get better. But Luna couldn't see that. Or wouldn't.

Usagi was done. She was finished with the way she was being treated. She would go back to fighting on her own. Perhaps Tuxedo Kamen would join her, but even if he didn't, it was safer to fight alone instead of trying to keep the others safe, and obeying, during a battle.

"Get out Luna." Usagi sighed and shook her head. "The media caught most of the fight. Don't bother coming back until you watch the coverage. Actually, don't bother coming back."

Luna looked at her, obviously outraged, and opened her mouth to speak.

"I said leave!" Usagi screamed angrily. "You've become so obsessed with finding the princess you forgot about us. You can't even see what's in front of your own face!" She pointed to the window and held firm until Luna disappeared. Then, as soon as the little black cat was gone, Usagi collapsed onto her bedroom floor shaking with sobs.

There was a brief knock, and then her door opened. She didn't bother looking up. There was only one other person home, and thankfully he already knew her secret.

Shingo walked into the room and knelt beside her. "Are you okay Usagi-onee-chan?" he asked, putting a hand on her shoulder. Usagi couldn't help the sob that tore out of her throat, and a moment later had her arms wrapped around her little brother.

"They hate me," she whispered. "They hate me and I don't know why."

"What happened?" Shingo asked. "I heard Luna, but I mean, before."

"Mars completely ignored me. Just stood there with her arms folded and watched. I told her to cover me and she didn't." Usagi sobbed. "Why does she hate me?" she asked, not really expecting an answer.

"I don't know." Shingo pulled her back and frowned a little. "But I don't think you should worry about it anymore. I think you need to stay away from them. Today it's just ignoring an order, but what if she attacks you next time?" He paused. "I don't want you to get hurt even worse nee-chan."

"I don't think they'd do that Shingo," Usagi said quietly.

"Mom and dad will be back soon," Shingo told her. "You should probably put on your pajamas so they don't see your leg."

Usagi nodded. "Thanks Shingo," she murmured. He stood and left the room, pulling the door closed behind him.

She was very grateful Shingo had figured out her secret. At first she had been upset, worried the Negaverse would somehow find him, but he had kept his silence and had become her only confidant since she could no longer talk to the other Senshi.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Monday  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Usagi made her way to school carefully. She didn't want anyone to notice she was limping. Her leg throbbed painfully though, and all she wanted was to go back home and climb in bed.

Walking slower than usual meant she'd had to leave early. Thankfully her mother had breakfast ready and her bento box packed. She had been standing at the front door waiting when Usagi came down and the huge hug that she had given her had helped ease some of her heartache.

She hoped no one noticed the gauze on her calf, or the limp she couldn't entirely hide. Especially not Mamoru. He was far too observant and of late he had begun stopping to talk for a few minutes. They still occasionally crashed hard, but now he tended to catch her.

That was one of the many things shoving her head first into love with him. He helped her study, caught her when she crashed into him, and sometimes their bickering almost seemed like flirting. His eyes were gorgeous and she knew from repeated collisions that he was toned and muscled. He was serious, and sad. She had talked to him often in the past five weeks, and the sadness never left his eyes completely, though he did seem to brighten when they teased.

She heard a cough and turned, looking up onto the wall automatically.

"Good morning Luna," she said.

The cat's eyes were filled with remorse. "I'm sorry Usagi-chan," she said sadly.

"Me too," Usagi said quietly. "I wish it hadn't come to this Luna, but I can't fight with them anymore. I can't trust them to have my back. And I can't trust you to listen or be fair."

"I will do better from now on," Luna said quietly. "I watched the news coverage," she continued. "Not just from last night. From the last two months. I didn't know it was that bad. I want to help. Please let me try."

Usagi sighed. "For now Luna, I need time. I think maybe you should stay with Makoto for a little while. Maybe… maybe if you see what I mean it will help. I just…" Usagi sighed, not sure how to say what she wanted.

"Luna, you need to remember the people in front of you. Wherever the princess is, she is safe as long as she stays hidden. Maybe she's Sailor V, I don't know, but you have to help us right now. I know I'm not the best Senshi, but I have gotten so much better. I practice and study battle strategy and work on my attacks. I am finally getting the hang of my powers… But I've been miserable for months."

"I'm sorry Usagi," Luna said again.

"Maybe come and see me every few days," Usagi suggested. "I really love you Luna, and I want to fix our friendship."

She saw tears form in the cats eyes and caught her up in a hug. "Come see me tomorrow, okay?"

Luna nodded and she set her back down.

"Can I ask a favor?" Usagi asked, staring at the feline.

"Of course," Luna said, and gave her a nudge with her head.

"I was hoping I could get something similar to the Mercury computer, but more geared towards battle strategy and training. Something that can alert me when there is a battle or attack if I don't sense it coming."

Luna nodded. "I'll bring it to you today after school," she promised. "I'll be right at the gate."

"Thanks Luna. And I mean it. Please come and see me tomorrow okay? I just need a day to get my head on straight."

"I will."

She gave Luna one last hug before moving on towards the school. She quickened her pace, hoping no one noticed the shuffling walk she had to adopt to move quickly.

Less than a minute later Mamoru appeared beside her. He touched her gently on the shoulder so she stopped and looked up at him.

"You okay," he asked.

Usagi nodded. "Just had a rough night," she said honestly. "But I think everything is looking up now."

Mamoru smiled down at her. "When is your test?" he asked.

She groaned. "I almost forgot about that baka," she said and playfully elbowed him. "It's Friday morning."

"Then we have four days to get you ready," he said. "Meet me at the library and we can get started. Normal time."

"Okay," she said, then waved as they parted. She watched for a moment as he took the path to his school before she hurried toward her own.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
At lunchtime Ami and Makoto approached her as she was changing into her shoes to go outside.

"Luna says you're quitting," Ami said, her face drawn into a worried frown. "You know we can't defeat the…"

"Ami!" Usagi scolded, shock filling her. "This is not the time or the place."

"When is?" asked Makoto, looking a bit sad.

Usagi sighed and waved for both girls to follow her. She let Naru know she would only be a minute and led them out of the building and around to a small area behind the gym. No one was around, but she kept her voice low regardless.

"I'm not quitting my job as a Senshi," she said in a whisper. "I'm quitting the group. I got injured, again, because people didn't follow orders, again." She tried to keep her voice calm. "I can't fight with people who don't have my back. So from now on, I'll fight alone. When the three of you are ready to be part of a team, then you can join me, but until then, I'd rather keep my distance. None of you care about me anymore," she added, feeling heartbroken because the words were so true.

"We just want you to do better," Ami said, her face scrunched in a mix of irritation and confusion.

Usagi let out a bitter laugh. "No Ami. You want perfection. I have gotten better. I'm no longer failing my classes. I haven't had a klutz attack during a battle in… I don't even know how long. I spend hours and hours studying battle strategies, practicing my attacks and close quarters combat. I work really hard all the time. And that's on top of the patrols every night, on top of the nightmares I still can't shake, on top of Youma battles that leave me injured more often than not…" she shook her head.

"But," Makoto stared at her. "If you get hurt so much, it just proves you need to work harder."

"Does it?" Usagi asked. She realized she was holding in a lot of anger as her words spilled out of her. "Or does it mean I have to get close to the Youma to destroy them? Or could it be the fact that every time I asked for help to train I got complaints, arguments, or just plain ignored? Or it might be because people refuse to obey an order." She pointed to the injury on her calf. "Certain people refuse to help. So I'm done. If I can't trust you to have my back, I don't want you there at all."

With those words finally spoken Usagi felt lighter than she had in months. Her anger vented, she turned, giving them one last sad glance, before she walked away.

Naru waved her over the moment she turned the corner, and she sat next to the little red-head who had been her friend for so long.

"Are you okay?" Naru asked, automatically putting an arm around Usagi's shoulder.

"Not yet," Usagi said quietly. "But I think I will be."

"Good. Hey your mom made the sausages into little octopi," Naru squealed. "That's awesome. My mom doesn't do that anymore."

Usagi giggled and looked around. "Where did Umino go?" she asked.

"I told him you needed me more right now," Naru said quietly. She turned slightly so that she was face to face. "I know you've had it rough with your other friends lately, and I'm worried that if it doesn't get better something could happen to you." She leaned forward. "Please be careful," she said, resting a hand on her knee. "You're my best friend and I don't want to lose you."

"You won't lose me," Usagi cried, touched.

Naru frowned. "I saw the news Usagi," she said.

Usagi blinked. She opened her mouth to speak but no intelligible words came out.

"How… what... huh?" she asked, not sure how to form complete sentences in the midst of her shock.

Naru snorted. "Usagi… I know, okay? I've known forever. Since the first night. First, you knew my name, and then the cat said yours. I was fully conscious. I heard it all. I even heard that dreamy Tuxedo Kamen say he would remember you." She gave a romantic sigh.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Usagi asked. "I've wanted to tell you for so long, but I was afraid if I did, you'd get hurt."

"That's why I didn't say anything," Naru explained. "I knew you would worry. Besides, after a while the other girls showed up and started to help you. It wasn't until a couple months ago I started to think maybe you'd be better off without them. After last night, I'm more sure of it than ever."

Usagi sighed. "I actually did quit the group last night. I'm going off on my own again."

Naru nodded. "Good. And now you have someone to talk to about it. Oh, and Umino knows too. He heard the cat when the fortune teller Youma had him."

"Wow. How many people know?" Usagi wondered.

"I don't know. But people care about you Usagi. We won't let those bad guys find out." She smiled and stole a sausage. "Besides, now you can tell me everything about that caped hunk who comes and rescues you."

Peals of laughter floated up as her words sunk in. Usagi smiled and hugged her friend close, thankful that there wouldn't be any secrets between them anymore.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
True to her word, Luna was just beyond the gate when Usagi got out of school. She hurried over and picked the cat up, hugging her close for a long minute before putting her back on the stone wall.

"Hey Luna," she whispered.

"Hi Usagi. I think what I have is perfect for you. There may be a few bugs as you get used to it, but I think it should work fine."

They both looked around before Luna pushed forward a mini-computer similar to Mercury's. This one was silver and pink however, and when she took it, she felt a small button on the side that was missing from the Mercury computer.

"That's for the visor," Luna explained. "I wanted to come up with a different way to lower it because your earrings are different than hers when you transform. Open it up and you'll see I've loaded it with everything she has, but it also has a program that will let you plan battle strategies and there's a lens on the back that will let you shine them on a wall so if you and the girls get back together you can show them what you create. It also has a sensor for Youma activity."

"Thank you Luna. I really appreciate this."

"I should have done it sooner," Luna said. "You're right, I've been so focused on finding the princess that I forgot I had four girls who needed me."

Usagi gave her a small smile. "It's okay. I forgive you, and I want to fix things. I just need a bit of time."

"Okay."

"I have to go meet Mamoru to study. See you tomorrow?"

Luna nodded. She gave the cat one last hug and then hurried away, feeling better. She knew Luna could be a bit blind to what was happening around her sometimes, and she was willing to try again because she knew that, and that Luna really did care about her. Maybe things would get better quickly.

With Luna on her side to talk to the other girls, she hoped eventually they might come around and realize their behavior was wrong. Even if they didn't, at least she would be able to find out if they were okay.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
She arrived at the library and, smiling, she walked in and gave a silent wave to the librarian. Mamoru was already at their normal table waiting for her and she hurried over to him.

"Sorry I'm late," she whispered.

Mamoru only nodded, giving her a brief smile, as he put a bookmark into the book he had been reading. She was rarely right on time, which made her feel guilty, but he never made a big deal out of it. The days when he had teased her to the point of tears were gone. Now it was more like joking between them, and he seemed to understand when she didn't act perfectly.

For five weeks they had studied together, and she was doing well in English and math. She only worried about maintaining her grades now, so they didn't need to study as long and a few times had even spent time just talking instead. It was nice.

The unfortunate side effect of this was that her little crush had blossomed into love, and she was absolutely sure that when he eventually started dating it would break her heart.

With the packet between them they settled in to work on synonyms, the subject of the upcoming test.

"Alright," he said quietly. "In your own words," he covered the sheet with his hand to make sure she didn't peek. "What is a synonym?"

"Words that have the same or similar meanings."

"And antonyms?" he asked.

"Words that are opposites," she answered.

"Homonyms?" he continued.

"Words that sound the same but mean really different things."

"I think that will be the first question on the test, so make sure you remember it," he said.

Usagi nodded and watched as he wrote down four words. Open. Closed. Unfastened. Ajar.

"Which one of these is not a synonym?" he asked.

She stared at the words. Unfastened meant open. Ajar meant open. Closed meant closed. She pointed at the word closed and he grinned.

"You studied," he said, sounding proud.

Usagi couldn't help the smile that spread over her face. She lived for his praise during their study sessions. She loved the way he smiled at her and his eyes sparkled.

For the next hour they continued to work. He used examples that weren't in the packet as well as those she was familiar with. When they had finished and everything was packed and put away, they walked out of the library together. He stopped her before she could turn away and put something in her hand before hurrying off.

She watched him go for a moment and then opened her hand to peek. The silver wrapper caught her attention. Sitting in her palm was a Hershey's Kiss. She grinned, and blushed, as she opened the wrapper and popped the tiny piece of chocolate into her mouth. It was a small thing, but it said more than many could with words.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Usagi walked into the house and called out to her mother that she was home. Tsukino Ikuko, a loving and fair, but sometimes strict, mother of two, came out of the kitchen. Her long lavender blue hair was pulled up on top of her head in a messy bun that Usagi thought made her look rather beautiful.

"Hey Usagi-chan, how did the studying go?" She was well aware of Mamoru helping her daughter. After she'd learned she had offered to pay him for it, but he said it was a favor between friends. She had been gushing about him ever since.

"It went really well," Usagi told her, then hurried to hug her mother and rested her head on her shoulder. "He thinks I'm going to pass the English test, but we're going to study again on Thursday just to be safe."

"Remind me and I'll make him some cookies," Ikuko said.

Usagi nodded. "He gave me a Hershey's Kiss today because I did so well."

Her mother smiled and kissed the top of her head. "Oh, make sure you take your raincoat and umbrella tomorrow. It's supposed to rain. I don't want you to get that strange new sleeping sickness."

"Sleeping sickness?" Usagi asked. Her mind instantly leaped to people being drained by Youma.

Ikuko grabbed a folded newspaper from the table. "Yes, your dad wrote an article about it," she said. "Six people now. Apparently they have nothing in common except these flower brooches they all were wearing, but the doctors tested them and there was nothing wrong with them at all. And the people are just sleeping. It isn't a coma. But they don't wake up for a long time. The first one to fall asleep just woke up yesterday, and she was out for almost two weeks."

"Wow, that's awful." Usagi said. "Could I read it? I love dad's articles," she added. Her mother smiled and handed over the paper.

"Just make sure I get it back when you're done so I can add it to my scrapbook," she said.

Usagi smiled. She thought it was really sweet that her mother collected every article her father wrote. It showed how proud she was, and how much she loved him. "I will," she said, and after another brief hug she hurried up to her room.

After reading the article, she input the information on her new Moon computer, and let a program run that would help her locate any matching words from what had been written. The process only pulled up one related story. One of the radio stations had been receiving calls about a Love Letter program they claimed never existed. People had heard the program however, and claimed that if their letter was read on-air, then they were sent a flower brooch.

She hurried down the stairs to her mother's craft room and put the newspaper on her table. Going back into the kitchen she set the table just as her father and brother came in and her mother began bringing the dishes of food.

She talked and laughed with her family, but her mind was on the "midnight zero" radio show, and the mysterious host J Dite. It was a name far too similar to one she knew well. Jadeite. One of the Dark Generals. She'd come across him before. She wondered if it was the same person. There was only one way to find out.

She hurried to her room to prepare.

She pulled out the Disguise Pen, and put it and the Moon computer into her subspace pocket.

She had three hours before her curfew. Slipping across the hall, she knocked on Shingo's door. He opened it and she snuck inside. "I'm going out for a little while to investigate a radio station," she told him. "I should be back before curfew. I don't plan on an actual confrontation tonight, just a quick look around, but I wanted to let you know."

Shingo nodded and gave her a quick hug. "Be careful."

Usagi grinned and made her way out. She called to her mother and told her she was going out, then hurried out the door. The radio station was just far enough away to warrant taking the bus. The closest stop was two blocks from their house and she rushed there, barely catching it on time. She panted as she sat on a seat in the very back and watched the other passengers.

Four stops and fifteen minutes later, she walked the block to the large concrete building and stared up at it. There were several stories, and in pink lettering she saw FM 10. A guard stepped out of the gate when she approached.

"Can I help you?" he asked.

"Sorry," Usagi said, bowing low, "my friend told me she wrote to the program Midnight Zero and when they read her letter on air she got a pretty flower brooch. But I didn't know the address, but I remembered seeing the building, so I thought I might deliver mine by hand."

"You know, you're the third person this week to ask about the program, but we don't have a Midnight Zero." He lowered his head and whispered conspiratorially. "For some reason, it comes through on our station. But it's strange, no one inside answers after 11:30 at night."

"Wow. Is it another station trying to use your signal?" she asked in a whisper.

"I don't think so," he said. "They use FM 10, so I think it's here, but no one will admit it's ours."

Usagi was worried. If no one answered after 11:30, what was happening to them? She asked the guard what she should do about her letter and he grinned and he pointed to a little mailbox on the side of the building.

"Don't tell anyone I let you through," he said. "Go on and put your letter in the box."

Usagi grinned at him and rushed over. She slid only an empty piece of paper into the box, but after the guard had been so helpful she wanted him to think he really was doing something nice. She ran back to him and said thank you before hurrying around the corner.

Opening her mini-computer she searched for the employees who worked at the radio station. It only took a minute to find a morning DJ who she could impersonate. She would just pretend she had forgotten something and hurry inside to take a look around. She was really glad she'd spoken to the guard however, because it confirmed, to her own mind at least, that something really was happening at the station and they needed her help.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
After her parents and brother were in bed, Usagi dressed and went out onto the balcony outside her room. She loved the balcony, and had often pretended to be a fairy tale princess looking down at her prince. Now, she used it as a means to leave the house undetected when she did a late night patrol or a fought a Youma battle.

She knew the layout of the radio station and had a plan to get in. She was fairly certain she would see Jadeite there, and probably a Youma. Fortunately the general hadn't actually fought her up until this point, and she wanted to keep it that way. She had enough experience to know it wouldn't be easy, but she had people relying on her to make sure they were safe. She wished she could contact Tuxedo Kamen, but he didn't have a communicator.

With the thought of friends like Naru, Motoki and Mamoru firmly in her mind she made the jump from her balcony to the grass below, prepared to fight alone. She ran through the night, faster than most girls her size could manage due to hundreds of morning dashes to school and a hint of her supernatural abilities that bled through to her normal persona. A few minutes later she found an alley where she could henshin and with a quick look to make sure no one was around, she held up her brooch.

"Moon Prism Power, Make Up," she cried out. Ribbons and light danced around her. The clothing she wore melted away to be replaced by her white fuku with it's short blue skirt. Gloves appeared on her arms and bright red boots climbed to her knees. Earrings, choker, and hair pieces formed and a moment later she leapt up onto the fire escape. Another short bound took her to the roof, and then she was running and leaping through the night, moonlight reflecting off her hair, making it appear more silver than gold as she moved towards the coming battle.

Within five minutes she was on the roof of the radio station, at the access door. No one ever seemed to lock those, and she found it to be true for FM 10. She snuck down into the building and made her way to the recording booth. Quickly she noticed that the DJ and two interns as well as the announcer were all slumped over in chairs, sleeping.

There was a man and a woman inside, and right away she recognized Jadeite from previous battles, which meant the woman was more than likely a Youma in disguise. She quietly snuck inside and noticed the box of flower brooches. Chances were they would disappear when the Youma did. But first she had to make sure the woman really was a monster and not an innocent.

She pulled her tiara down and whispered her charge for it, holding it like a discus. She knew from experience it would grow hotter as she held it without releasing the power, but a few small burns were preferable to being more seriously injured.

Taking a deep breath she swung the door open and faced off with Jadeite. He growled when he saw her. "Flau, attack," he yelled, and a moment later the woman had transformed and was in the middle of sucking in a large breath when the tiara cut through her middle.

Jadeite glared at her as the brooches in the box disintegrated. He threw his hands up and a wall of water appeared, moving fast toward Sailor Moon. She leapt to the side, hoping to avoid being crushed, but the water disappeared. She turned to look back at Jadeite, only to discover he was no longer there. She turned quickly in a circle, making sure he wasn't sneaking up behind her, and then she hurried out of the room and back to the stairs.

Once on the roof she breathed a sigh of relief, crouched, and jumped to the closest building. For the next several minutes she leapt from one to the next, going away from her house, making sure to look behind her. Then she dropped down into an alley and raced around a corner and several streets down into another alleyway.

For several minutes she hid in the darkness, watching every direction. Jadeite's disappearance worried her. If he could disappear, it was possible he could reappear. Finally sure she hadn't been followed, she released her henshin and then pulled out the disguise pen, making herself tall with red hair and green eyes before she left the shadows.

She took several detouring paths as she got close to her own house. A sudden movement caught her eye and she looked up. A shadow stood on a nearby roof, but it didn't strike fear into her as Jadeite's would have. This was a shadow she knew all too well, though he wouldn't recognize her, hidden as she was. The black cape rustled in the breeze and the top hat standing on his head was still as he gazed out over the night. He was protecting the city, and that meant she could rest.

Slipping into her yard, she hid under the tree and released her disguise before making the short leap to her balcony. She climbed into her bed a few minutes later, showered and changed into pajamas with little white bunnies hopping across a pink field, and closed her eyes. For a first battle alone again, it had gone fairly well. She was still a little worried about Jadeite's disappearance, but she thought she had done a good job hiding who she was and where she was going.

She wondered why Tuxedo Kamen hadn't appeared at the battle itself. Perhaps it was over before he could, or maybe he had been there, watching as he always did, in case she needed him. They'd been training together for over a month, and his power still hadn't fully developed. They were both certain it was inside, locked for whatever reason, just out of reach. Usagi thought it would appear when he needed it, as the twilight flash attack had come to her. Until then she'd only been able to throw the tiara like a discus and pray it hit.

Her mind slowed as sleep overtook her, and she prayed for a dreamless sleep.


	3. Alone

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Tuesday  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
) * O * (  
She was being pulled through the mist, a warm hand on her arm. She didn't know where she was, or even who she was. Everything was fragmented and strange. She thought she remembered her name, but every time she tried to bring it to mind it floated away.

"Hurry," a voice called to her. "Hurry!" 

Her heart raced loud in her ears. Da dum. Da dum. Stumbling, she fell over something, but was picked back up by strong arms that had a gentle touch. The man who had urged her on now wrapped his arm around her waist and rushed forward. He half lifted her over rubble that was strewn throughout the once pristine palace. She clung to him, tripping occasionally over her long white dress skirt, only to be held up in his caring arms. 

Screams echoed in the air. She could hear the crackling of flames and the clink of blade meeting blade. The whoosh of powers in battle and the cries that sounded as people called their attacks echoed around them. The dead and the dying littered the halls and courtyards. Moans and cries for help pierced the air. 

There was little hope left. They were overrun. And now, with her guardians gone and her mother in a heated battle of her own, she felt the fear racing up her throat like bile. How could she save anyone?

They reached the top of the steps and she looked out in horror as the crowd approached. The people in it were mindless, their will sucked from them through the magic Metallia had poured out as she stole their energy. At the head of the group stood Beryl, a sword in hand. Behind her, floating in a swirl of black was the hideous mass that was the monster Metallia.

She shuddered in fear. If Metallia took the Crystal all hope would be lost for not just the moon, but every planet in the solar system. Forever...

Her thoughts trailed off as Beryl spoke. "We will conquer the moon kingdom and make this place ours. The Silver Crystal will belong to us! Prince, why do you betray your own world, the earth? We are doing this for the sake of our planet's prosperity."

"Stop this!" the man who held her shouted. "This is madness. Our planet's prosperity? Look what you have done to my people! You've killed the Queen and King and subjected the population to this madness!"

"Why do you defy me? With you at my side we can rule the Earth, no, the Solar System together."

"I don't want to rule the solar system. I just want to live in peace with my wife. What have you done Beryl? What have you done? You've woken an evil that cannot easily be put to rest. And for what?"

"It's Queen Beryl now!" the red-haired woman shouted. "I will take that wretched moon princess and you will be mine Endymion!" she screamed and lifted the sword, striking out.

She closed her eyes, waiting for the blade to strike home, but the man, Endymion, moved into the path of the sword. He cried out in pain and began to fall. She caught him, laying his head in her lap as she sobbed her heartache. 

"ENDYMION!" she screamed, her heart breaking as he struggled to touch her face one last time. "No! You can't leave me. Endymion!"

He tried to speak. "I love… you… Seren…" his eyes closed and a last breath of air escaped. 

Her howl of agony pierced the darkness. No words were spoken as their Soul-Bond was fractured in the moment of his death. With no hope left she picked up his sword. She bent and kissed his lips one last time before plunging the blade just below her ribs.  
) * O * (

Usagi awoke with a startled cry. As always there was an echo of remembered pain, and a name on her lips, but the rest faded quickly. Tears poured down her cheeks, but she couldn't remember what had happened. It was the same every night. She knew something horrible had happened. Something so awful that when she'd died it had been a relief, but she could not remember what it was.

It was as though a veil had formed over the memory. Perhaps it was to protect her from a pain so fierce she could not survive it. She didn't know. She only knew that the dreams were coming more and more frequently, and she needed to find out what they meant.

Usagi realized it was near four in the morning. There was no point in going back to sleep. Instead, it was better to run a patrol through the city and make sure nothing had been missed by the Moon computer. She sat up in bed, rubbing just under her ribs, unsure why the spot ached so much, and hurried to her closet to grab her school clothing. Taking her hair down she quickly brushed it and put it up into the normal buns she had been wearing since she was no more than two.

Then, when she was dressed and ready, she put her brooch on her outfit and moved quietly to the window. She climbed onto the balcony and looked carefully around to make sure no one could see her before jumping lightly down and running around the corner to a hidden place where she could transform.

For the next hour she ran lightly over the rooftops of Tokyo, checking to make sure all was well before returning home to prepare for school.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Talking to Naru about being Sailor Moon was interesting. She had different perspectives on everything than the other Senshi had, and asked so many questions that Usagi wondered how she had learned so much. She was answering the rapid fire questions all through lunch on Tuesday, and it took putting her hand on Naru's shoulder to slow her down long enough to take a bite of her food.

After chewing it seemed she had twice as many questions as before. Usagi had to laugh. "It's not like I'm going anywhere Naru. Maybe slow it down." She took a bite of her own lunch and waited for Naru to do the same.

"Okay, so where do your clothes go?" she asked. "When you transform?"

"That's one even Luna couldn't explain," Usagi told her. "I think it might be somehow related to subspace pockets though." At Naru's look of confusion, Usagi looked carefully around to make sure no one could see them, then reached her hand to the left and pulled out her Moon computer.

"Wow!" Naru breathed. And launched a series of questions so fast Usagi could no longer understand a word. Lunch was almost over however, and she was thankfully saved from answering by the bell. She returned her computer and packed the remains of her lunch into her mouth like a squirrel. She didn't want to miss a bite.

She looked up and noticed clouds forming overhead. She shivered as the air seemed to chill and rushed Naru inside.

Haruna-sensei caught her just before she could enter the classroom. "Usagi-chan, I don't know what it is, but yesterday and today you've seemed happier and more focused. I don't know what the change is, but I'm glad you've made it."

"Thank you Haruna-sensei. I just took some good advice." She smiled at her teacher, who gave her a quick hug before they both entered the classroom.

She didn't look over at Ami and Makoto, though she could feel their eyes on her. She hoped eventually she could repair their relationship, but today wasn't that day.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Usagi hurried into the arcade, pausing to shake out her umbrella before she headed straight to the counter. If she didn't get a chocolate shake she thought she might cry. It had been a miserable walk from the school. Wind and rain she didn't mind so much, but just before she'd left the school Ami and Makoto had caught up to her and her mind had been replaying their words as she walked.

Ami had grabbed her arm and asked to talk. She'd turned, hoping it wouldn't turn into an argument, but her hopes had immediately been dashed.

"You abandoned us," Makoto hissed.

"Don't you care about us at all?" Ami had asked.

Usagi had sighed. "I didn't abandon you. And I love you all dearly. That's a big part of the reason I left. Whatever has been happening between us was getting so bad I wasn't sure what to do. I won't have people at my back I can't trust."

She had tried to turn away then, but Makoto, who was much bigger and stronger than her had blocked her in and grabbed her arm. "Don't do this Usagi!" she'd said, her voice half angry, half sad.

"Has Luna talked to you?" Usagi asked her.

Makoto nodded. "She's staying with me. She said you asked her to leave too."

Usagi pinched the bridge of her nose. "Look. I need time. A few days at the very least. I'm working with Luna, learning to trust her again. She's trying. All you've done is argue. That tells me you don't see the problem. Until you do, there's no hope. I'm safer alone. I'm sorry if that hurts you. I'm sorry if that makes you angry. But this conversation changes nothing because you haven't listened."

"You're just going to walk away?" Ami asked.

"No," Usagi said quietly. "I'm running towards something better. I suggest you think about whether you want to follow me."

"You can't do this alone," Makoto had said, her words full of anger.

"I can, and I will. But I don't plan to stay alone."

Now inside the warm, dry arcade she shook her head. They still weren't hearing her. They weren't listening to what she was saying and that was a problem. Until they did, there could be no reconnection. She couldn't take the chance that she wouldn't return home to her family. She didn't know when the next disobeyed order could get her killed. That was a risk she couldn't take.

It was a different world for her now. Those she had thought to be friends had made her life so miserable that she'd had to split from them for her own safety. She couldn't just go back and tell Shingo she decided to let them in because she didn't want to hurt their feelings. She had a responsibility not just to herself, or to her family, but to the people of the city. She had to make decisions based on what was best for all of them.

She would have to contend with Youma battles on her own, and the worry that she wouldn't be able to save people. It had been weighing heavily on her mind all afternoon. She thought she was becoming a good Senshi. She honestly believed she was better than she had been before. But their words had been like spikes to her heart. They thought she couldn't do it. And worse, they felt abandoned. It hadn't been her intention to make them feel that way.

She sighed and slid onto a stool. Motoki turned and caught sight of her. He gave her a huge grin. "Hey Usagi-chan!"

She mustered a smile for him. "Hey Motoki-onii-san."

"Chocolate?"

"Triple chocolate," she said, feeling a bit desperate for the treat.

"Bad day?"

"Not bad, just long." She smiled at him and pulled her homework out of her satchel and turned to the page she'd been working on just before class had ended.

"What are you working on?" a voice whispered in her ear sending her senses into overdrive.

Usagi shivered and turned to see Mamoru sitting down on the stool next to hers. She smiled at him and passed the papers over. It wasn't a normal study session as she'd thought he would be staying late to work on a project. She hadn't prepared herself to see him.

Mamoru was special to her. Her first love. In an ideal world she might have told him so, perhaps given him her first kiss. Now she took a deep breath and reminded herself that she couldn't act on her feelings. She could never put someone in danger like that. It was bad enough Naru and Umino knew. And Shingo. She couldn't put him in danger too. If she lost him, her heart would break.

"Hey Mamoru-san," she said, keeping her voice just loud enough to be heard.

"Hey Odango."

She sent him a glare, but if she was honest with herself she didn't mind the nickname. Especially since he always gave a small tug on one of her pigtails when he said it.

"Baka," she said, shaking her head and hiding a grin.

"Here's your shake," Motoki said, sliding it in front of her. He looked over at the papers. "Polynomials. Fun," he said sarcastically.

Usagi grinned. "Always a blast," she deadpanned.

Mamoru slid the paper back and leaned over. "Look here," he pointed. "You've got number three wrong." He launched into an explanation and Usagi turned her attention to the work, though she couldn't help but admire the way his hair fell just over his eye. She longed to touch it and see if it was as soft as it looked. Steeling herself against the impulse she focused on the worksheet and tried to pay attention as she sucked down her shake.

The bell rang at the other side of the arcade. She didn't look up at first until Motoki made a strange sound. "She looks mad," he whispered. "What's up with Rei? Usagi?"

She closed her eyes as her heart clenched with pain. She didn't turn to look. She knew Rei was probably glaring at her. Rei was angry that Mamoru spent time with Usagi. She had never understood why. She knew the priestess liked him, but he hadn't been interested and it wasn't as though he was dating Usagi. He was a sort of friend, and her tutor. Besides, Rei had known Usagi had a crush on him before she ever made the move. 

"Usagi?" Motoki asked again.

She sighed. "Rei is angry with me." She blinked back tears and turned her focus on Motoki.

He stared at her, but didn't say anything.

"Sometimes friends need a break," she said finally.

She didn't want to talk about it. It hurt too much to remember Mars standing there, arms folded, not protecting her. Not helping her. The look of anger and rage on her face. The thousands of angry and harsh words that had been spoken. The times when she had berated Usagi for things like laughing too loud, falling down, playing video games, or even breathing too loudly. She didn't even know if Rei even considered her a friend anymore.

"Okay," Motoki said quietly. "The other girls are with her," he said gently.

"We're taking a break too."

Usagi turned back to her homework, hoping neither of them realized she was crying.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Luna patted at the window with her paw and Usagi hurried over to open it. The little cat stepped into the room and made the short jump to the bed. It was late and she was pretty sure everyone else was sleeping, so she made a motion for Luna to talk quietly.

"Hi Usagi."

"Hey Luna," Usagi murmured, reaching out to scratch her head. "How was your day?"

"Okay I suppose. I talked to the other girls tonight. They're okay. Rei said if you wanted to fight on your own then the rest of them could take a break. I'm pretty sure she assumes she can wait you out."

"Not going to happen," Usagi murmured fingering the now mostly healed cut on her calf. It was going to scar, she thought. It would be a constant reminder to her of what had happened Sunday night, and why she had made the break when she did. She hoped to repair their friendship, but she wasn't going to risk her life.

Luna caught the motion and frowned. "I was hoping to talk to Central Control about what's going on," she said quietly. "Maybe they have some advice."

"I hope so," Usagi said fervently. "I was thinking of talking to Tuxedo Kamen about joining forces."

Luna gasped in surprise. She opened her mouth, then quickly clicked it shut again."

"He's been training with me for over a month Luna," she admitted. "When the other girls showed up late five weeks ago I started to cry. I didn't know he was still there. He was really comforting and after we talked, and he made me feel better, he said he's like me. No instincts for fighting. He takes a couple classes to help and offered to train me in everything he learns. And I promised to help him with his attacks. Twice a week we train."

"I didn't know. I've always distrusted him because I didn't know what he was after."

"I know. But I follow my gut. Remember you thought Ami was a Youma," she reminded the cat with a little giggle.

Luna laughed. "Okay, I see your point," she said. "But maybe you should ask him what he is after," she suggested.

"That's a good idea Luna."

"How have the dreams been?"

"A bad one last night." She shuddered at the memory and changed the subject. "Do you want to patrol with me tonight? We can use the moon wand and see if it gives us any more strange readings."

"That sounds great."

Usagi stood up and went to her door. She made a quick check to make sure everyone was asleep before going to her window. Luna climbed out behind her and together they leapt to the grass below. They went to a hidden spot in the park before Usagi transformed. She tried never to go to the same spot twice in a row.

"Ground or rooftop?" Luna asked.

"Ground tonight, I think. Maybe the readings are from people. We'd get better access to them on the streets."

Luna nodded and then jumped to Sailor Moon's shoulder in a practiced move. She ran lightly through the park, not pushing herself too fast. The Moon Wand was out in her hand and they both watched for the faint blinking that would indicate it was picking up on something. Neither had been able to discover what the readings led to, but now she had the Moon computer she figured if they found a signature she could just scan the area.

They searched the city for almost two hours before they gave up. Sailor Moon left Luna in front of Makoto's house. "If any of them ask about me, just tell them I love them, okay?"

"I will," Luna promised.

"I also love you," she said, giving the cat one last hug before setting her down.

Tears streaked her cheeks as she made her way back home.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Wednesday  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wednesday afternoon meant studying math. She liked that even less than English, which she was really getting a grasp on. Mamoru was incredibly patient with her, even when she broke into tears, which she did often over the more complex problems. Who needed to know how to divide a fraction with a variable and a square root anyway?

Less than twenty minutes into their session a sudden beep from her Moon computer startled Usagi. She looked over at Mamoru. This was the third time she'd had to leave a study session in their five weeks of working together, and she felt horribly guilty, but she couldn't ignore it. People could get hurt if she didn't appear.

"I've got to go," she whispered. "I'm really sorry."

"It's fine Odango. Go, I'll see you tomorrow." He smiled at her and she thanked him again and raced out of the library, hiding her bag in her subspace pocket as she ran. She had to try three different alleys before she found an empty one and transformed.

She followed the signal to the park and found a strange Youma. She couldn't tell if it was male of female. It looked like a jello mold. It was round, but there were vertical lines going from head to… whatever amounted to a bottom all around it. The thing moved slowly, but shot out what looked like green jello cubes at people, and several were already lying on the ground, drained of energy.

Sailor Moon pulled her tiara down and charged it, the motions like a dance her body knew well. "Moon Tiara Action," she called and threw it at what she thought might be the head. There were eyes at least. The tiara cut straight through the creature. She caught it as it returned, but as she watched the wound healed. She hadn't even made it scream.

She felt more than saw Tuxedo Kamen arrive. She was grateful. She knew he would pull her out of danger if the Youma got too close. His arrival let her focus on other ways to attack.

She put her tiara on her forehead and closed her eyes, pulling her power to her. "Twilight Flash," she cried out. Her power blasted out with a flare of light as she opened her eyes. The creature shrunk in on itself, screaming in pain, but it wasn't dusted. With a frown Sailor Moon pulled the Moon Wand out of her subspace pocket.

The creature moved toward her, and spat several of the cubes at her, but she dodged to the left and backed up. "Moon Healing Escalation!" she screamed, holding the Moon Wand up. There was a brilliant light and she had to hold the wand with both hands and concentrate the power on the Youma. She'd never had to keep the power up for longer than a few seconds, and as she held it now the wand began to heat in her hand until she was afraid it would burn straight through her glove.

Just as she was afraid the attack wouldn't work at all, the Jello Youma gave a strangled cry and melted into a puddle before turning to ash. Sailor Moon slumped, hardly able to hold herself up for a moment.

She heard a sound and turned to see Tuxedo Kamen had leapt down beside her. "That was incredible," he said. His cane was in his hand. "I wasn't sure what I could do with my roses. Your tiara didn't do any damage."

"Well, if it had gotten close you would have figured out something," Sailor Moon said. "I still say whatever it is that's locked inside you is waiting for a moment of desperation. That's what happened with mine at the masquerade. It'll come when you need it most."

"I hope so," he said quietly. "I felt useless."

"You definitely weren't. Just knowing you're there is sometimes all I need to close my eyes and focus for a second. You have no idea how unnerving it can be to close your eyes for that twilight flash attack when you know a Youma is staring you down." She shuddered.

"I'll always have your back Sailor Moon," he said quietly.

"And I'll have yours," she promised.

She contacted the first responders and reported the victims. She wished she could heal them all, but she knew if she tried she would be useless if there was another attack.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
"I challenge you!" the voice rang out, eerily close to her ear. It sent shivers up her spine. But Tsukino Usagi knew better than to show fear to her enemy. She hardened her face and turned to eye her foe. Then broke out into giggles as he made silly faces at her.

"Shingo!" she squealed. "Is it the new one? Did you already get it?"

He nodded happily. "Come on, we have time before bed," he said and grabbed her hand to pull her into his room. They both plopped down into bean bag chairs and prepared themselves for a new adventure.

The theme song rang out into the room and both of them grinned and grabbed the controllers. This was one thing she and Shingo had shared for a long time. They'd been playing the games since Sailor V first appeared. And ever since the mysterious disappearance, it seemed more games and manga were made about her, and they both gobbled up every bit of news.

"Do you really think she's the princess," Shingo asked as the pixelated superhero gave the trademark V.

"I don't know," she said. "Sometimes I think I see her in my dreams, but they fade so fast I can't really grasp onto anything. I just remember sadness and death."

"Whatever they're about you call out a name," Shingo told her.

"I do?"

"I've heard it a couple times now. Endymion."

Something stirred in her at the name but it was lost before she could analyze it the feeling disappeared like smoke. She shrugged, unsure what to make of it.

"So are you doing okay in school?" she asked, changing the subject.

"I am." Shingo blushed and though she wanted to pressure him for the cause, she didn't want to make him uncomfortable. He would tell her when he was ready. Until then she would just keep him company.

The introduction scene started and both watched with rapt attention as Sailor V faced off against a man with long white hair. Usagi shuddered, but couldn't understand why. Once the game started she forgot the uncomfortable feelings and she and Shingo raced to get through the monsters.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
It was nearly three in the morning when Sailor Moon reached the factory. The Moon computer had woken her almost ten minutes before, rumbling and beeping next to her and she had raced across town as quickly as she could. Now she snuck inside through one of the large windows which was open to cause a breeze for the workers below.

The Youma looked like a wolf. Or partly. She noticed right away that the creature had two snakes instead of a tail and had leathery red wings on it's back. It was terrorizing the people who were working an overnight shift, flying around over their heads and sending bursts of light out that knocked people over. If it got close one of the snakes would attempt to bite the victim, or the wolf would snap at them.

She ran up to a beam over the factory floor and pulled her tiara down from her forehead. This was her third battle in a matter of days, and she was exhausted.

"Moon Tiara Action." She charged the tiara and took a shot, hitting the Youma across the neck of one snake. Once it was beheaded it fell limply along the hind legs, but the other snake coiled and uncoiled rapidly, and the wolf thing looked up, seeing her for the first time. She caught the tiara as it returned.

"Everyone get out!" she screamed, now that the wolf was distracted by her presence. She watched as people raced for the exits, or pulled on the arms of their friends. Some were not very careful and she hoped nobody would be injured in their rush.

Across from her she could see a large windowed office at the top of a metal staircase. Inside a man and woman stared out at the Youma, which was now lifting from the ground and flying toward Sailor Moon. Both looked like they might faint, but she couldn't spare a thought for them as the creature threw a bolt of light at her.

She closed her eyes and focused her energy on her tiara, which was now back on her forehead. She could feel the power welling within and pushed it out in a burst with her attack.

"Twilight Flash!" she yelled. The power burst out with its own light and heavy force, knocking the creature back. It tumbled end over end, but caught itself before hitting the ground.

Sailor Moon used the time to tear her tiara off her forehead and charge it a second time. "Moon Tiara Action," she yelled. The flying projectile hit one of the wings, causing the Youma to scream out in pain.

She was unprepared for the accompanying burst of light and found herself falling from the beam with nothing to hold on to. She closed her eyes and prayed for a miracle.

Help came in the form of a masked man wearing a top hat and cape. He caught her shortly after the fall began, but the impact was still enough to knock the breath out of her. She let out a strange half cough that hurt her chest as he landed on top of one of the large machines and helped her stand.

"Arigato Tuxedo Kamen," she coughed.

"Are you alright Sailor Moon?" he asked, sounding concerned. She nodded, her eyes already scanning for the creature. "Where are the others," he asked.

"Not coming," she said quietly.

"Okay, what's the plan?"

Grateful he didn't want explanations, she spared him a glance. "I think your vines would come in handy. Can you throw two roses? One to distract, perhaps with a bright flash, and then a second one immediately after to bind it?"

He nodded and drew two roses from nothingness. She didn't need to watch him. Since they'd started training together she'd seen what he could do. He simply willed the rose to act as he wanted and it did, the same way she could control her tiara's return.

As soon as the first rose left his hand Sailor Moon was already charging her tiara and when the vines from the second rose had ensnared the Youma it followed behind and beheaded it. Particles of dust floated down over the machinery.

The few people who had been drained lay still, and Sailor Moon hurried down to them with a whispered, "cover me." None were dead, and most would make a speedy recovery. Only one concerned her. It was a girl, who appeared to be around sixteen, and she was pregnant. Sailor Moon couldn't heal everyone without draining herself dangerously, so she only focused on the girl, sharing enough energy to wake her.

When she was satisfied, she called out to the man and the woman still gaping at her from the office window, ordering them to call for medical attention. The woman nodded, looking frightened after all she had seen, and hurried to the phone. The man stood still, his mouth open in shock, staring at the people who lay so still.

"They're fine," Sailor Moon told him. "They will probably all sleep for a day or two, and some may sleep longer, but none are in immediate danger."

He nodded and she bent to help the pregnant girl up and into a chair that sat next to her work station. "Are you alright?" she asked. The girl nodded. "Is the baby kicking?" she pressed. When she saw her nod again, Sailor Moon breathed a sigh of relief. She didn't know much about pregnancy.

She pulled out her Moon computer and ran a scan on her to be safe. The girl's iron level was low, and she was deficient in calcium and vitamin C according to the readout on her screen. "You need prenatal vitamins," she told the girl.

"I can't afford them," she whispered. "My father kicked me out and my boyfriend left me."

Sailor Moon's heart broke for her. "Okay," she whispered, then she reached into her subspace pocket and pulled out what remained of her allowance. "Here, take it. It's all I have but it might be enough."

"I can't take your money," the girl whimpered, trying to hand it back.

Sailor Moon closed her hands around it. "I get my money the same way most teenagers do," she whispered. "An allowance. I won't go hungry, and missing one milkshake won't kill me. You have to get the vitamins and something to eat."

The girl hugged her and wept. "Domo arigato," she whispered and bowed her head.

"What's your name?" she asked.

"Rin Ayaka," she answered, smiling tremulously.

By then the first ambulance had arrived and the woman in the manager's office was making her way over. Sailor Moon waved to her.

"Make sure she gets seen first please?" she asked.

Nodding, the woman wrapped an arm around the teenager's waist and helped her stand. The girl waved a solemn goodbye and Sailor Moon jumped onto the nearest piece of machinery to get out of the way of the first responders. Tuxedo Kamen met her along the beam and together they left through an open window.

"That was a kind thing to do," he said quietly a few minutes later.

Sailor Moon blinked. She hadn't realized he would have seen or heard. "It wasn't life or death for me," she explained. "It very well could be for her." She paused. "I think I might know someone who could help her," she whispered. "Someone who cares a great deal about making sure teenagers are safe and healthy."

Tuxedo Kamen turned back to her and smiled.

"Besides," she asked, "what's a few milkshakes, right?"

He gave a small laugh and she moved to leap away, but he stopped her. "Are we still on for Friday's training?" he asked.

"Of course. I actually want to talk to you about something then," she told him.

"Okay. Stay safe Moon," he whispered.

"Stay safe Kamen," she whispered back.

She dashed over the roof and leapt away, feeling lighter. They really did work well together. She hoped he was willing to join her as a teammate so they could strategize. Unlike Luna she didn't believe for a second that he was a danger or a possible Negaverse spy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Thursday  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ikeda Akemi had been the school nurse for a long time. She was in her mid-fifties, and was single with no kids. But she adored children and teens and had dedicated more than just her working life to them. She volunteered at a youth program as well, and also helped at a homeless shelter for women and children.

Usagi hurried to her office as soon as the bell rang for lunch, telling Naru she had something important to do. She stepped inside.

Nurse Akemi greeted her warmly, scanning her with a practiced eye. Obviously she passed whatever invisible test it was, because the nurse waved her inside and over to the desk.

"I wanted to ask you about something." Usagi met her eyes for a moment then bowed. "I met someone who needs help, and I was wondering what to do. All I really have is her name and where she works."

"How old is she?" Akemi asked.

"I'm thinking a little older than me, perhaps fifteen or sixteen. She's pregnant," she blurted. "And her father kicked her out and her boyfriend left her. I got the impression that she might be homeless."

"Where does she work?"

Usagi gave her the details and explained that the place had been attacked by a monster and the girl had to get medical help. "Her name is Rin Ayaka." She paused. "I just felt like if someone didn't help her, things could get really bad. And I didn't know where to turn except you."

"I'm glad you thought of me," the nurse said with a smile. "I'll find her. I promise."

"Arigato, oh arigato!" Usagi said, impulsively throwing her arms around the matronly nurse.

"Of course, Usagi. Now you go eat lunch. You're far too skinny."

Before Usagi had even left the room Akemi was on the phone with the hospital closest to the factory. Knowing she had made the right choice, Usagi skipped happily to her locker and changed into her shoes to go outside. Her bunny emblazoned bento in hand, she raced to Naru and smiled wide, feeling like something amazing had just happened.


	4. Alliance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dedication:  
> This chapter is dedicated to my friend J.R. who passed away 1/22/19.  
> She left us far too soon.  
> You Will Be Missed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Friday  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Usagi was tired and frustrated. She had woken up from one of her dreams around four in the morning again and hadn't been able to get back to sleep. She'd taken a quick patrol of the area and then had gone home to get ready for school, but she was feeling exhausted. She really needed to get more sleep.

She was still trying to focus on what she wanted to say to Tuxedo Kamen when they met for their training that evening after dinner. She needed to know just what it was he was after, but she didn't want to pry too deeply. He had the right to privacy the same as she did.

"Oy! Odango Atama! Wait up!"

Usagi turned to see Mamoru hurrying toward her. "Morning Baka," she said by way of greeting, and smiled at him.

"Morning Odango," he said and smiled, but looked at her strangely.

"What's up Mamoru-san?" she asked.

Mamoru stared at her for a long moment. "We need to talk. Privately. Can you meet me after school?"

"I guess. Where?"

"At the arcade is fine. We can just go for a walk or something."

"Okay. I have to hurry now though, or I'll get detention."

"Okay little Odango," he said, then smirked. "You have a test this morning. Remember what I taught you about the synonyms," he added, then turned and hurried towards his high school.

Usagi broke into a near run. She made it to her locker and hurriedly stuffed her shoes inside, grabbing the slippers and putting them on as she made her way to class.

"Usagi-chan!"

Usagi turned at the sound of her name and saw Akemi, the school nurse, waving to her.

"Ohayou gozaimasu Ikeda-san," she said and bowed respectfully.

"Good morning," the nurse said, a wide smile on her face. "I just wanted to let you know Ayaka came to stay with me last night, and I am petitioning for guardianship."

"That's amazing. Oh, gomen!" Usagi gave her an impulsive hug and swiped at a tear that fell down her face. Suddenly she didn't feel tired or frustrated anymore. In fact she felt like she was swimming with energy.

"Thank you Usagi. I really like her. She's a great girl. Very shy, a bit quiet, but an absolute delight."

"Oh I'm so happy!" Usagi said, unable to contain her joy. She'd known she had done the right thing. She'd just known Ikeda Akemi was the right person to turn to.

"I am too," the nurse confided. "Hurry up and get to class. You don't want the sensei to be annoyed. I just wanted to thank you." She walked Usagi to the classroom door.

Usagi bounced all the way to her desk, happy that the girl would have someone who cared for her in her life. Naru looked over and saw the grin.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"You remember the girl I told you about?" she asked.

Naru nodded. "The pregnant one."

"She's going to stay with Ikeda-san. She's seeking guardianship. I'm just so happy."

Naru grinned. "That is good news."

Usagi nodded emphatically. "The best," she whispered.

Haruna-sensei turned from the board and sent Usagi a little smile. Her mother had told her that her teacher had called several times over the past month, worried that Usagi was being bullied. But the teacher seemed assured now, and after their short talk she thought maybe the phone calls would stop.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
The Crown Game Center was packed with students from middle and high school. The loud sounds of car engines, fake gun fire, and space blasters filled the air, along with shouts and laughter. The smell of greasy western foods like hamburgers and chili cheese fries made Usagi's stomach growl. It was pure heaven to a fourteen year old girl who was obsessed with Sailor V and American dining. She really wished she could stay, but she'd promised Mamoru she would talk to him.

She spotted him right away. He sat at the counter, a paper coffee cup in one hand and a plastic shake cup in the other with a tall straw already inside, the tip of the paper wrapping covering the end. She noticed him looked at her, so she smiled at him and waved. As she watched he leaned forward and said something to Motoki, then hurried to where she stood just inside the door.

Usagi followed him back outside and thanked him when he handed her the shake cup. It was awfully nice of him to think of her, and it put a smile on her face.

"Do you mind going to my place, or would you prefer hanging out in the park?" he asked.

She shrugged. "It doesn't matter. You said it was private, so if you'd rather go to your place that's okay."

He nodded and the two of them began walking. He sipped at his coffee and she took the paper off her straw and enjoyed the yummy goodness of a triple chocolate shake with whipped cream and chocolate shavings. It was her absolute favorite.

The silence between them wasn't awkward. In fact, she was rather used to it. For a teenager, he didn't talk very much. It was part of the sadness she'd noticed in him, she was sure, so she didn't push or pressure him.

He didn't live far from her. Only four blocks. But it was a different world. She lived on a residential street while he lived in a high rise apartment building. She'd been there once before when he'd accidentally taken her math book, but she hadn't stayed because her father had been waiting in the car for her.

When he led her inside his apartment she stopped and quickly took off her shoes. There was only one pair of guest slippers. She figured Motoki must be the only one to use them as they were far too big. Her own genkan at home was filled with over a dozen pairs in all shapes and sizes. She wondered if he was lonely or if he preferred being on his own.

"Here," Usagi said as they passed the kitchen. She handed him a bag of homemade double chocolate chunk cookies. She'd helped her mother make them. Mostly by adding the chocolate and eating the batter, but in her mind, it counted.

"Thank you," he whispered, and went to the kitchen for a plate and some milk. She'd brought him cookies before, several times. It was something she and her mother both agreed on as a way to thank him for helping her.

Mamoru led her to the living room and pointed to a comfortable looking chair before taking the one next to it. Once they had settled, with the cookies and glasses of milk between them, he cleared his throat and gave her a level stare. She felt weighed and measured under his gaze, but oddly it didn't make her uncomfortable.

"Usagi, I've kept quiet about this for a while now," he said. He was silent for several long moments after those words, but he leaned forward and rested his forearms on his knees.

She cocked her head in question, but chose not to interrupt him.

"I know you're Sailor Moon, but before you panic, let me say that one, I would never share your secret, and two I know because," he sucked in a breath. "I'm Tuxedo Kamen." He stopped speaking and stared at her.

"Oh," she whispered, not sure what else to say. She closed her eyes and thought about it. The smell of coffee and roses should have clued her in. Or perhaps the way he had become her teacher and helper as Mamoru and Tuxedo Kamen at the same time, and had noticed she was having trouble with her friends in both forms.

She couldn't help the smile that grew on her face. At least now she had another person to talk to, and maybe he would help her, now that she had left the other Senshi.

"You aren't mad," he said, sounding confused.

Her eyes shot open. "Why would I be mad?" she asked, feeling very confused.

"Because I'm Mamoru-baka?" he asked.

A giggle escaped. "That just makes it better because I already know you're my friend. But, can I just ask why you're telling me now?"

"I noticed the other girls aren't with you anymore. The last three battles you've shown up alone, and fought alone. No one came to meet you."

"I decided to leave the group after what happened Sunday night," Usagi admitted.

"I'm glad you did. They didn't treat you right, even after all your hard work."

"I know, but I was hoping it would get better. I'm still hoping there is a chance to repair the damage. It will take time, and hard work, but I think I can do it."

"I think we both thought if your skills improved, the others would come around. But you're the best fighter in the group now, and the girls just kept getting worse. And Rei..." he paused for a long moment and she noticed his fists clenching. "She smiled when you got hurt Usagi."

"Nani?" she asked, shocked.

Mamoru stood and went to his television. Pulling a remote off the entertainment center, he turned on the television and went through the menu before pulling up a video. It was the news coverage of the fight Sunday night. She watched, in slow motion, as the spike streaked across her skin, wincing in memory of the white hot pain, and then looked to where Mamoru was pointing. Mars had her arms crossed and had a smirk on her face.

Anger bloomed inside Usagi, but she breathed deep and tried to let it go. She didn't want to be angry anymore. She wanted to focus on what happened next. Rei was no longer part of her life. She was the past now, and Usagi had others in her life who had shown they cared in so many ways.

"Mamoru, I quit the group," she explained. "I told Luna I was going off on my own again."

"Not completely on your own, I hope. I'd like to keep fighting with you, if you'll have me." Mamoru blushed as he spoke and she instantly grinned and stood to give him a reassuring hug.

"Of course!" she said. "And it will be even better because we can talk strategy and not worry about what anyone else is doing." She paused then. "I do have a couple of questions though. You can choose not to answer. I won't be mad if you don't."

"I'll answer if I can," he said, looking her in the eye.

Usagi picked up a cookie and took a bite as she thought about how to ask her question. She chewed and took a sip of her shake instead of the milk he had offered. She would get to that when her yummy treat was gone. When she spoke again she was very careful how she worded her question.

"Luna said I should come straight out and ask you what it is you're after. I don't know if it's the same thing or not, but I hope it is. So I was wondering, what are you fighting for? What makes you Tuxedo Kamen?"

He frowned. "Those are two different things actually. I didn't know I was Tuxedo Kamen at first. I started having blackouts. I would wake up with injures I didn't remember getting, but they would heal rapidly. So rapidly in fact that I wondered if I was imagining them. Then one day Motoki saw me transform. I didn't know he'd seen me, and I didn't remember being Tuxedo Kamen, so when he confronted me over why I didn't talk to my best friend about something so important I was in a state of shock."

"I can imagine," Usagi said. "I freaked when I realized Naru knows and I remember being Sailor Moon."

Mamoru smiled. "I actually thought maybe I had a tumor or a psychological disorder at first," he explained. "I was really upset about it and I did tell Motoki I was missing time, so when I told him I didn't know what he was talking about, he put two and two together and realized what was happening to me. After that I started to remember what had happened. And ever since I've had some measure of control over my transformations. That was shortly before what happened with Mars screaming at you in front of all those people."

"So you've only known for about six weeks?" Usagi asked, shocked.

He nodded. "And I've been training pretty much ever since. I started the classes, and then you and I worked together. It's been hard though, not really understanding everything that was happening. And then, when I started focusing, I realized two things."

Usagi stared at him, "what?"

"First, I could feel you transform. Every time. But I was only drawn to you if you were going into battle. Second, I could feel your emotions to a degree when you were transformed. Like a link. When you had moments of intense fear I knew I had to act."

"Wait, do you mean you're Tuxedo Kamen because I'm Sailor Moon?" she asked, worried.

"I think it has something to do with it. But that's not all of it. Your other question was what I'm fighting for." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I don't know how much you've figured out about me, but Motoki says you're really observant about people."

"I know you're really sad. I know you don't have family, or if you do they aren't close. I know that when you feel strongly about something you will fight for it…" Usagi trailed off, staring at him.

"You're right. I don't have a family," he said sadly. "I don't even remember them. When I was six, I was in a car accident with both my parents. They died and I only had a bump on the head to show for a nearly two hundred foot fall. Unfortunately, either the bump or the trauma caused amnesia, and I can't remember anything before waking up in the hospital."

"Nothing?" Usagi was shocked and saddened.

"Absolutely nothing. I have a couple pictures of my parents and one of them with me, but that's it. I was put in an orphanage and they didn't let us keep a lot of personal items."

"That's horrible."

He nodded. "Right after I woke up I started having dreams of a princess. She's hidden from view. I can't see her face. I see hair, long, with a silver tint to it, and a white dress, but her face is shrouded in mist. I hear her voice calling for me to help her. I can only free her if I find the Silver Crystal."

"The Maboroshi no Ginzuisho," Usagi said quietly. "I think you see the Moon Princess."

"You know her?"

"She's who we've been searching for. The Senshi are her guards. Unfortunately her memories are blocked so she doesn't know who she is. Sometimes I think maybe it's Sailor V, but Luna doesn't think she would be a Senshi. Then again, Luna can't remember there being a Moon Senshi either, so I don't know if we can judge by her feelings alone. She gets most of her information through Central."

"So we're looking for the same person, and the same object," Mamoru said, his eyes locked on hers.

Usagi nodded. "I'm pretty sure we've been on the same side all along."

"Does anyone besides Naru know who you are?" Mamoru asked, changing the subject. "I only ask because when I started to suspect it was you, I told Motoki without thinking. It was when I realized your bruise was in the same place Sailor Moon was hit… five weeks ago."

"Naru and Umino know. I've talked to her about it, but not him. He's been busy with a project most of the week. Either that or Naru's been giving me more of her time because she knows I'm feeling sad and hurt. And my brother Shingo knows because he heard Luna yelling at me once."

"How did Naru and Umino find out."

"Also Luna," Usagi said, and giggled. "Do you remember any of the first few fights?"

"Bits and pieces."

"During our first fight at the OSA-P Jewelry Store, I told the Youma to get her hands off Naru. And then Luna said my name when she told me to use my tiara." She giggled. "Umino heard Luna call my name during the fortune teller incident."

"Wow."

"Yeah. She's gotten better since then. But she also doesn't come to fights anymore."

"I've noticed that." Mamoru snatched a cookie, broke it in half and drenched it in milk.

"Can I talk to her about what you're looking for? Let her know she has nothing to worry about? And I could also get you a communicator so I can talk to you, set up trainings and let you know if the Moon Computer sensors pick anything up."

"I guess. But I'd rather she keep my identity a secret from the other girls."

"I won't tell her who you are unless she promises," Usagi told him. She would make sure the others didn't know. They didn't need any more problems at the moment. "You know, I should have suspected it was you," she said. "You always smell like coffee and roses. I noticed it in both forms."

"I do?"

"Mmm hmm."

Mamoru blushed. After Usagi realized what she'd just told him, she blushed as well and bit into a cookie to avoid talking.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Usagi had pulled out her communicator the moment she left Mamoru's apartment and asked Luna to meet her before she went home. Luna was near the arcade so they met close to Usagi's street. The little black cat jumped up onto Usagi's shoulder so they could talk quietly. If anyone saw they would just assume Usagi was trying to calm her pet.

"Okay, here's the deal. I know who Tuxedo Kamen is, but he's asked that we don't reveal his identity to the rest of the girls yet. He's afraid to cause more problems."

"I can agree to that," Luna whispered. "I promise to keep his identity secret unless it is absolutely necessary to save your life or his."

Usagi was impressed by the level of trust Luna was giving her. Her heart felt like it swelled with warmth and happiness. "Thank you Luna."

"Of course."

"Mamoru is Tuxedo Kamen."

Luna gave a very satisfying shocked gasp. Then she stayed quiet for a long moment. "I suppose it makes sense now that I think about it."

Usagi nodded. "It did for me too. Anyways, he's been dreaming about the Moon Princess since he lost his parents when he was six. He needs to find the Silver Crystal for her. That's what he's been searching for all this time."

"That I did not expect," Luna said quietly.

"Me either. And there's more. His transformations are somehow linked to mine. He can feel me transform, and if I'm in danger he has the urge to get to me as soon as he can. At first he didn't even know he was becoming Tuxedo Kamen. He only learned just before we started training together. And he's known I've been Sailor Moon since around the same time."

"Wow," was all Luna said. "He told you this today?"

Usagi nodded again. "Yeah, he asked me to meet him just before school and I went and talked to him right after. Oh! That reminds me. You know the girl I told you about from the last attack? The school nurse took her in." Usagi grinned with happiness.

"That's wonderful Usagi-chan!" Luna exclaimed.

"I was hoping to get a communicator for Mamoru so we can set up meetings and practice times. I'd also like it if you came and met with him."

"I already have his communicator," Luna said quietly. "I got it right after you told me you were going to ask him to help you. I have a new one for you too. They're a bit different. Watches. I figure it's easier to keep them with you and there are some upgraded features from Central."

"That's awesome Luna."

Usagi opened the door to her house and walked inside.

"I've got to eat dinner before I go train. Want to come with me?"

Luna nodded and then butted her head under Usagi's chin as her mother came into the room. Usagi removed her shoes and put on her slippers before giving Ikuko a hug.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
"Mamoru-san," Luna said and bowed her head.

"Luna-san," Mamoru replied, also inclining his head.

"Thank you for always protecting my girl," Luna said, and then blushed. Usagi grinned.

"Anytime. She's become a good friend," and Mamoru also blushed.

They settled down to sit in the grass under a large sakura tree in the park. The sun was ready to set and it was growing dim, but it was warm and beautiful. Usagi handed Mamoru the communicator Luna had gotten him and showed him her new one. She flipped open the watch face and pointed to the two symbols.

"So I have the earth symbol and you have the silver moon symbol," he said. "Who do these other ones belong to?"

Luna's voice took on a lecturing tone. "Each symbol represents one of the others who is to fight with you. Mars, Jupiter, Mercury, Venus…"

"There is no Sailor Venus," Mamoru said, a frown on his face.

"Not yet perhaps, but there will be. All of them need to be found. There are several missing Senshi, as well as other warriors who have to be located. Also, you'll notice Central has added an emergency alert button and we've also included a button to reach the police. Usagi is planning to take them a communicator. You might want to go with her. It has always distressed her that she has to find a phone to call first responders. This way she can simply press a button."

Mamoru looked over at Usagi, impressed, and it was her turn to blush. "It just makes more sense," she explained. "I can't get a cell phone, so this is the best route."

He nodded and turned his gaze back to the communicator to give her a moment. She was grateful. He'd always been kind like that, even when they were teasing each other unmercifully.

Usagi heard a beep coming from Luna and turned to see what it was. Luna pulled out her own communicator, which looked like a calculator, very similar to the one Usagi had just turned in to her.

"That's Central," Luna said. "I have to take this. Why don't the two of you henshin and start practicing and I'll talk to you when you're done."

They both nodded and stood. Usagi found a clump of trees and bushes that she'd used to transform before and hurriedly touched her brooch. "Moon Prism Power, Make Up!" she said it quietly, but with force, as she always did. Within moments she was surrounded with light as her clothing melted away and ribbons formed her fuku. When her henshin was complete she stepped out to find Tuxedo Kamen already waiting for her.

"That was fast," she commented.

He nodded. "Only takes a second. Yours seemed to last longer."

"It does, and it annoys me to no end. What if I have to transform in a hurry?"

"I don't know." He shook his head.

"Want to throw some roses at me?" she asked.

"Alright," Tuxedo Kamen pulled a rose with a blunted tip. "Are you ready?"

Sailor Moon nodded. "Switch it up a little. I don't want to get into a rhythm or anything."

He nodded and threw the first rose as she backed up.

Sailor Moon dodged to the left and was almost caught by the second and third rose. She dodged right and dropped to avoid the fourth, rolling back to the left in the same motion. The fifth caught her on the shoulder as she stood again and she hissed in pain. They weren't dangerous, but it would leave a bruise. She turned into a cartwheel to avoid roses six, seven and eight. Then dodged to the right to avoid nine and jumped to escape the tenth.

For several more minutes he kept up the barrage of roses until she lifted her hand to call a halt. She was frustrated. She had been hit four times in roughly five minutes. Those weren't good odds considering some battles lasted hours. With a sigh she sat and put her head in her hands.

"What's wrong?" Tuxedo Kamen asked, sitting down next to her.

"Four hits in five minutes," she griped.

"Do you know how many roses I just threw?" he asked.

She shook her head. "I wasn't exactly counting." She giggled at the thought.

"I'm guessing I was averaging about eighty roses a minute."

She raised her eyebrows. "Seriously?"

"Yeah. And if you remember, the first time we did this I threw about ten a minute, and still got you about half the time."

"I am getting better. I just worry. It's only the two of us now, and people are relying on us to make sure they stay safe. I have a princess to find and protect, and I'm really worried about Jadeite. I didn't know they could just vanish."

"What do you mean?" he asked, sounding worried.

She told him what had happened at the radio station. "So then, after the Youma is dusted he throws what looks like a wall of water at me, but it was just an illusion. By the time I looked back he was gone without a trace."

"That is disconcerting," Tuxedo Kamen said, rubbing his forehead just above the domino mask.

"You should have seen me after. I felt like I was being followed so I went the wrong way for a bit and made some sneaky turns and then disguised myself."

"That night makes a lot more sense now," he said. "I couldn't figure out why you were suddenly so upset when the fight was over. I didn't even get to you before the battle was done. By the time I got close, you'd dropped your transformation but were still really far from home. I even tried to find you and watched the path to make sure, but I never saw you."

"Yes you did," she laughed. "The tall redhead. I saw you."

He grinned. "How did you make yourself look so different?"

Sailor Moon pulled the disguise pen out of her subspace pocket. "This can change my appearance. Actually, if I say certain things it can temporarily even give me certain skills."

"And I get a cane…" he trailed off. "My cane is missing something though."

"What?"

"Not sure. I just know its missing." He shrugged.

"Okay, your turn," she said. "Let's work on accessing your other powers."

"What should I do?"

"The best way I've found is just to sit still for a second and start thinking about where the power is coming from. You said you feel heat in your chest, right?"

Tuxedo Kamen nodded, unconsciously rubbing over his heart.

"So sit as still and calm as you can and think about the heat. When do you feel the heat and why?"

He was quiet for a long time. They'd done similar things before, but she'd never thought to ask him the question before. She watched his face as he focused inward.

"I've felt it several times. Each time was when I didn't think I could get to you and you were about to be hurt," he said quietly. "You managed to get out of it yourself a couple times. Once Sailor Mercury caused a distraction, and twice I ran faster than I thought possible and caught you."

"I think your power is linked to your emotions then, like mine. Maybe if you focused on it once or twice a day for a few minutes you could really get a sense of what the power is. I'm pretty sure when it does come out, it will be strong. My Twilight Flash was, when it happened. I felt a bit weird only throwing the tiara up until then when Mercury and Mars both had much more active powers."

"I still feel a bit weird. Like something is missing. Just like with my cane."

"You know, I feel the same way about the Moon Wand," Usagi said suddenly. "I never really thought about it before." She pulled it out. "See here?" she pointed to a small circle set within the crescent. "I feel like something is supposed to go here."

Tuxedo Kamen pulled the cane from his subspace pocket and pointed to the tip. "Right here. There's a setting. I think something is supposed to go here too."

Sailor Moon nodded. "Okay, so maybe that's what's holding both of us back. I'm sure whatever it is will come when it's time. But for now, we can just work with what we've got."

They stood up. "Alright, time to train on your flips," he said, grinning.

Sailor Moon groaned. She wasn't very good with the flips. Especially the backflip. She moved into position anyway. That was the whole reason they were training after all.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Saturday  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Usagi smiled at Naru and Umino. Her friends had been dating for a while and they were rather adorable together. They were sitting in front of the shop they'd gotten the ice cream from, each holding a cone. Naru's was peach, Umino had vanilla and Usagi had chocolate brownie.

Umino was extraordinarily smart, and a snoop. He was always the first to know about anything that was happening, and if someone wanted people to know something, he was the first stop. He had a bad habit of jumping out and startling Usagi and Naru because he didn't have impulse control. He'd been doing it since first grade and both girls secretly thought he'd be scaring them long into old age. He had short brown hair and glasses that tended to hide his blue eyes. When he wasn't in his school uniform he actually looked a bit cute, at least according to Naru. They definitely complimented one another.

Naru was also incredibly smart, though she was less obvious about it, not shoving her test papers in Usagi's face. She was sweet and kind, but had a curious streak that Usagi thought got her in trouble more often than not. She'd had more than her fair share of Youma encounters, and whenever Naru wanted to try something new Usagi grew suspicious and offered to join her or tried to get there first. She had gorgeous blue eyes and bright red hair that hung to her shoulders.

"So you want to go to a concert?" Usagi asked, and she knew she sounded skeptical.

"Yes. It's this artist who went to our school!" Naru said excitedly. "Mikan Shiratori."

Usagi nodded. She'd heard about the performer. Umino bounced in his seat a bit, as though he wanted to say something. She looked over at him.

"She's having a contest to see who can be the next pop star," he added.

"When is the concert?"

"Next Saturday. That's when the contest is too. She's been out talking to people for a couple days. She's going to be one of the judges," Umino continued.

"And you both want to go?" Usagi asked, a bit nervous.

Naru and Umino both nodded their heads emphatically.

Usagi sighed. "Let me find out if I can go with you two," she said finally, then finished her cone.

Usagi jumped up a few minutes later as the Moon computer beeped. She could also feel a foulness. Whatever it was, it was close. Too close.

"Naru, Umino, go home. Now!" She pointed in the direction opposite the one the feelings of wrongness and filth were coming from.

Naru nodded and started dragging Umino by the arm.

Usagi hurried to the alley between two shops and transformed. She opened her communicator and pressed the button to reach Mamoru. "Youma," she said. "Its in the shopping district by the ice cream shop.

"On my way. I'm at the arcade. Two minutes."

Sailor Moon closed the communicator and hurried back to the street. Immediately she was able to see a disturbance half a block down. She raced over, and saw a craft store. People were streaming out through the door and running down the street. She could sense the Youma inside.

Making it through the door a moment later, she followed the feeling and found a Youma that looked as though it was made entirely from confetti, or possibly the leavings from scrapbooking. It was throwing more confetti everywhere and spitting at one of the clerks who had hidden behind the counter. When the spray hit the counter it started eating away at it. Acid. She had to distract it so the trapped clerks could get away.

"Hey! How dare you interrupt people who are trying to create something beautiful! I cannot forgive you! For love and justice, I am the pretty sailor-suited soldier Sailor Moon! In the name of the moon, I will punish you!" She yelled the introduction. She rarely did them anymore, but when there were innocents one had to put their pride away and take up the challenge.

The Youma turned to her and stared. "Sailor Moon?" it asked, sounding confused.

She sighed. "Yes, Sailor Moon."

Tuxedo Kamen came in through the back door and helped the people hidden get to safety. While he worked Sailor Moon took her tiara down and charged it. "Moon Tiara, Action!" She threw it like a discus. The Youma moved to the side and spat acid at her. She dodged to the left and caught her tiara as it returned. 

By then Tuxedo Kamen had turned to the fight. "Destroying the hopes of crafters on a beautiful Saturday! Tuxedo Kamen can not forgive you!"

The Youma turned to face him and the moment she did, Sailor Moon closed her eyes and pulled at her power. It burst out with a flash of silvery white light and a moment later the Youma was crumpling into a pile of confetti. It turned to dust a moment later.

"Wow," she whispered. "That was a weird one."

Tuxedo Kamen nodded.

"Thanks for the distraction," she panted as they closed in together. "Do we have any victims?"

They both looked through the isles. Usagi gasped when she saw a woman with long blue hair laying face down on the floor. She raced over and turned her, automatically reaching for the Moon Wand.

"Moon Healing Escalation!" she screamed, her fear and anger for her mother overwhelming her. The light from the wand lit up the store like the sun.

She heard a cry from behind her. A man with white hair to his shoulders, wearing the uniform of a Dark General was clutching his chest and staring at her. His eyes changed from dark grey to silver. As soon as he saw her looking at him he stepped backwards into a portal and disappeared.

She turned her attention back to her mother. Ikuko's eyes fluttered open and she sighed in relief.

"Wh-what happened?"

"It's okay," Sailor Moon said in a soothing voice. "It's okay. You're alright. You were drained by a Youma, but I was able to heal you."

"Thank you," her mother whispered. She lifted one hand and touched Sailor Moon's cheek. "So beautiful," she murmured, "Just like my little Usagi."

Sailor Moon had to fight back the tears that threatened to fall.

Tuxedo Kamen took her mother into his arms and together they walked out of the store. He'd already called the first responders and within moments her mother was being laid on a stretcher. She pushed away their help though.

"Sailor Moon healed me," she said. "I'm okay."

"Let them check you out," Tuxedo Kamen insisted.

She nodded and Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen disappeared onto the roof.

"That's my mother," she whispered and was pulled into his arms. "I could have lost her." Suddenly she was overcome with so much emotion she couldn't contain the tears anymore. He held her tight while she cried.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Mamoru walked Usagi home. She had been shaking since she'd released her henshin. They'd watched as her mother was taken to the hospital, then followed and waited until her father arrived to pick her up. Usagi wasn't sure she could pull off the act of not knowing her mother had been hurt.

Shingo met them at the door. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, I think so." She was still trembling when he pulled her into a hug.

"Dad was here when he got the call, so its okay to fall apart," he whispered.

Usagi could only nod. "I sort of already did all over him," she said, indicating Mamoru.

Shingo turned to look at the much taller teenager.

"You might want to say hi to my friend Mamoru," she said with a halfhearted grin. "He's working with me now. Tuxedo Kamen," she whispered.

Shingo's eyebrows lifted, and then he smiled and bowed. "Mamoru-san," he said with a nod. "I'm Tsukino Shingo."

"Chiba Mamoru," he answered with a smile and a bow of his own.

"You're the one who has been tutoring Usagi too right?"

Mamoru nodded. "She's gotten really good," he added.

"I know. Our mom raves about you," Shingo said with a grin. "When she and Usagi make cookies she puts in extra chocolate chunks because Usagi told her you're a closet chocoholic."

Mamoru laughed and looked over at her. She blushed and stared at her feet.

"She should be back any minute," Usagi said, biting her lip.

At that moment the door opened behind them and her parents came inside. Her father had his arm around her mother's waist. He was in mid sentence. "... rest for just a little while. I don't understand it. They said you're in perfect health, but I saw the news in the waiting room. He carried you out of there."

"I told you, Sailor Moon healed me." Ikuko patted his arm. "I'm perfectly fine. Hi Usagi, Shingo. Oh! Mamoru-kun! It's so good to see you again." As she talked she changed into her slippers and came forward to hug them all as she said their names.

Mamoru seemed a bit awkward about the hug, but he smiled down at Ikuko. "I heard you were in an attack," he said. "Are you okay?"

"Like I was just telling my worry-wart of a husband here, I'm fine. Sailor Moon healed me. I feel better than I did when I left the house this morning. You're staying for dinner aren't you?"

Usagi grinned. Her mother was okay. She grabbed her mother in a tight hug and just held on for a minute. She loved the lavender and powder scent of her. She held back her tears by sheer force of will. "I love you Mama," she whispered.

Her mother's arms held her just as tight. "I love you too."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Dinner was a loud and boisterous affair that evening. Kenji had absolutely refused to leave his wife's side, which meant he was underfoot while she was cooking, but Usagi could tell she didn't mind. She'd been pressed into service chopping vegetables. Mamoru was beside her cutting the meat into thin strips. Shingo set the table and got the rice out.

Ikuko was hard pressed to do any of the work herself. She laughed at all of them and ordered them to stop treating her like an invalid, but she couldn't keep the smile off her face.

When the meal was finally prepared and they sat around the table the talk turned to the reason Ikuko had been in the craft store. She blushed as she explained that she did scrapbooking projects. She kept all her husband's articles, and Shingo and Usagi's tests as well.

"I can't help being proud," she said when Kenji blushed. "You work hard for this family."

She smiled at her parents. She adored them.

Usagi could tell for Mamoru the evening was bittersweet. Under the table she reached out and squeezed his hand. He squeezed back and then held onto her hand rather tightly for several long moments as her parents both talked about Shingo's soccer game. She knew it had to be hard for him to hear parents praising their son when he couldn't even remember his.

When the meal was finished and the dishes cleared she walked Mamoru to the door and thanked him again for being with her that day. "I don't know if I could have held it together without you," she said honestly.

"I understand," he whispered. "Tomorrow we should get together. I noticed something today we should talk about."

"The General?" she asked.

He nodded. "Tonight, just spend time with your family," he urged.

"Okay. See you tomorrow."

He nodded and waved as he walked down the path to the sidewalk. She watched him go feeling like the house wasn't quite complete now that he had gone. With a sigh she closed the door, turned and leaned against it.


	5. New Faces

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Sunday  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Over breakfast the next morning Usagi was struggling. She didn't want to leave the house because she couldn't be sure where her family would be the rest of the day. It was tearing her apart, and she wasn't sure what to do about it. She desperately wanted to keep all of them safe, but she couldn't keep them in the house forever.

Her father seemed to be in a similar mindset. He'd gone over dozens of ideas for escaping Youma attacks, none of them very great, and she'd been forced to interject a few better solutions. When it turned the attention on her, she reminded everyone of Naru's propensity to be targeted.

"I swear, she must have been attacked at least eight times," she said, frustrated. "Now I watch everything she does. If it's something new, I go with her, and I drag her away if I get the slightest hint that there's anything wrong." She shook her head.

Shingo gave her a warning look, but her mother and father only nodded. "It makes sense," Kenji said, scratching his chin. "What do you look for?"

"The biggest warning sign is if something seems too good to be true. Free tickets? Probably a good idea to avoid the concert or cruise ship, or whatever it happens to be."

Ikuko laughed. "We got free tickets in the mail for this romantic cruise, but your father had to work. We found out later the cruise ship had been attacked by a Youma."

"Exactly," Usagi said, nodding her head. "I also tell Naru if she's never heard of it before, it might be a trick. Like these strange plants they were giving away once that were supposed to be the fountain of youth. I had to explain that we're teenagers and don't need a fountain of youth to get her to leave. By the next morning more than five hundred people were passed out near the plants."

"I wrote an article on that one," her father said. "Some of those people were hospitalized for weeks."

Usagi nodded. "Things seem to be able to be enchanted too. Remember that article you wrote on the radio show? Well those brooches were on everyone who was passed out. And when OSA-P was attacked the Youma cursed the jewelry to take energy, and the people who wore the jewelry could be possessed. So, I make her stay away from sales and giveaways too. I should have realized no one would have marked all that jewelry down more than fifty percent," Usagi said, shaking her head.

"There was also the pets," Shingo said, his voice quiet. "Remember, the Chanela?"

Usagi nodded. "You acted so strange. When you didn't get up to play Sailor V… I thought something was really wrong."

"Sailor Moon saved me," Shingo said quietly.

Usagi had to hide her blush.

"I've seen Sailor Moon," Kenji said, his chin resting on his palm. "When the princess from the land of diamonds was attacked. Remember, I told you about this Ikuko. Someone did something to her that made her go crazy for a few minutes and she almost leaped off the balcony with the jewel she was supposed to be presenting."

"I remember."

"Well, all of us who were still in the ballroom at the time started falling and Sailor Moon dragged me over to the side by the balcony doors. That was back when it was just her, Mars, Mercury, and Kamen, I think. And there was this tall man who they fought with, but I don't remember much else."

"Looks like you're the only one left Usagi," her mother said, giving her a strange look.

"Hmm? The only one left for what?"

"All of us have been saved by Sailor Moon," she explained.

Usagi smiled. "I can't wait," she said dryly, and everyone laughed. "Seriously though, if you hear screams, or if you feel a weird pressure, or even have a hint that something doesn't seem right, it's always best to get out of there. Almost everyone I know has been attacked at some point or another. Umino, several of my teachers, including Haruna-sensei, Motoki, and a bunch of other people. And all of them have said something similar afterwards. That something didn't feel right. So, if you think something is off, get out of there."

"We're okay, Usagi. I know you're worried, but we'll all be fine." Shingo nudged her with his foot, reminding her to be careful. She nodded to him.

"Do you mind if I go out to the arcade?" she asked after a few bites of her now cold breakfast.

"Just be careful," her father reminded her.

Usagi nodded. "Always," she promised.

Once her dishes were rinsed and put away she went up to her room and changed, getting ready to go. She slid her satchel into her subspace pocket alongside the Moon Wand and everything else important and headed out to meet Mamoru.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
The arcade was still quiet when Usagi arrived. It was a Sunday morning, and most teens had chores to do, some were Christian and went to church, while others just wanted to sleep in. Not too long ago Usagi had been firmly in the last category, choosing to remain in bed until hunger drove her from the warmth of her cozy blankets.

When she walked inside the Crown she saw Mamoru in his usual spot, a cup of coffee held tightly between his hands. Motoki was on the other side of the counter, a white rag over his shoulder, and his arms swinging as he explained something to his best friend. Usagi smiled, glad Mamoru had someone he could talk to about what was happening in his life. She had Naru and Shingo, and eventually she was sure Umino would fire a million questions at her as well.

Making her way to the counter, she noticed a new face. It was a handsome young man, perhaps seventeen or eighteen. He was sitting at one of the booths, a cup of tea in front of him and the newspaper held up as he scanned through the sections. He had silvery grey eyes and silvery white hair, and wore a look of confusion, as though he wasn't sure he understood or agreed with what he was reading. She gave him a little smile as she passed, but he didn't seem to notice her.

"Usagi-chan!" Motoki exclaimed. He hurried around the counter to give her a hug.

"Ohayou, Motoki-onii-san," she said, holding tight for a long moment.

She moved over to Mamoru and sat next to him, unsure if she should hug him as well. He didn't feel remotely like a big brother to her, and their relationship had changed drastically over the past few days. Instead of a hug she briefly touched his shoulder and gave him a smile. "Ohayou Mamoru-kun," she said quietly.

"Good morning Usak-gi," he said, and blushed.

Motoki looked back and forth between the two of them, a strange look on his face, then leaned his arms on the counter so he could be closer to them both. "How was your mom this morning?" he asked in a near-whisper.

"She's okay," Usagi said, smiling. "I might have gone slightly overboard with the energy," she added. "She was up at four singing like a lark and cleaning the house. Shingo and I didn't have any chores left by the time we got up."

"Wow," Motoki said with a low whistle. "That's incredible." He looked carefully around to make sure no one was close. "Mamoru told me about it, but I'm not really sure I understand the energy thing."

Usagi frowned. The crown wasn't really the best place for the discussion. She looked around as well, being careful not to let it seem like she was hiding something. "Toki, I have to be careful what I say where. You would not believe how much trouble Luna has caused by being overheard. Maybe we could get together sometime so you can ask a bunch of questions."

"Told you I wasn't being paranoid," Mamoru said, also in a quiet voice. "You only work until two. Maybe you could come by my place after. I have to talk to Usagi anyways and we need to do some studying."

Motoki frowned at them. "You two are no fun at all," he said, but then winked to let them know he was kidding.

"There is one thing I will say now," Usagi told him in a low voice. "If you see Luna around here, especially at night, just let her be. She's not your average cat, and Central Control is downstairs."

Motoki's eyebrows raised. "Okay," he said in a low voice. "Shake or hot chocolate?" he asked.

She heard a small cough and her eyes were immediately drawn to the man holding the newspaper. He had lifted the cup of tea to his lips, and was staring down, obviously reading an article, but she felt he was far more aware of them than he let on. She shuddered.

"Shake. Definitely a shake. It's already warm out there."

"Do you mind getting it to go?" Mamoru asked. "I really do want to talk about yesterday, and you should be having another math test soon, so we need to study."

Usagi groaned. "No more tests," she whined, loudly. "Why do they have to make so many of them?" She waved to the to-go cups and Motoki grabbed one and started filling it.

"They need to make sure students understand one subject before they move on to the next," Mamoru said, also slightly louder than before.

"What are you doing for your birthday Usagi-chan?" Motoki asked, sliding the shake in front of her.

She could only shrug. She hadn't thought that far ahead. Her parents usually threw her a party, though a small one. She wasn't sure what they had planned though as it was still over a month away.

"I don't really know," she said.

She wished she and the girls had already fixed their friendships. She might be more enthusiastic about her birthday if they had. She missed them dearly. In the beginning they had all been so wonderful. Rei with her occasional teasing, but her fun personality and intermittent wild streak had made Usagi laugh. Ami, who was shy and quiet, but would sometimes pop out with something witty and hilarious. And Makoto who was tough on the outside but a hidden romantic with a gentle love of plants and cooking. She wished she could see them all and just make things better.

With a sigh, she turned back to Motoki who was talking about cakes and nodded along with the conversation until Mamoru rescued her by standing and announcing it was time for them to leave. She gave him a grateful smile and Motoki another hug. Sipping at her shake, she walked behind Mamoru to the exit door that was closer to his apartment.

She felt eyes on her back, but she didn't turn.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Sitting comfortably on a cushion and leaning back against the couch, Usagi studied contours of Mamoru's face. He had such a wonderful look. A good, strong chin, high cheekbones, and incredibly vivid and expressive eyes. Thick, black hair covered his head and tended to fall over one of his eyes. She always had the urge to smooth it away, so he could see what he was doing.

He was staring at her just as much and she wondered what it was he saw. She didn't think she looked very good. Other than maybe Umino and once Luna, everyone said she was too thin. She thought her face was too wide and her eyes too big. She did love her hair. It was unusual to be blonde in Japan, and her style had always felt unique and right for her.

They hadn't spoken in several minutes, and she had felt lost in his eyes for the first few, but she began to grow self-conscious, wondering what he was thinking about. Biting her lip, she finally looked down, a blush forming on her cheeks. She wished she was a bit braver. Maybe if she could admit she liked him it would all be easier, but she wasn't sure how.

Mamoru made a strange coughing sound and started talking abruptly. "So, did you see the General in the craft store?" he asked quietly. "He was right behind you when you ran to your mother, just staring at you, and then when you started healing her, he gasped and held his chest."

"I did see him," Usagi said, "his eyes changed too. They were a sort of strange grey color and then they went very silver for a moment before he stepped into the portal."

"Why do you think he grabbed his chest that way?"

"I have a theory," Usagi said, nibbling at her lower lip as she thought about what she wanted to say. She hadn't gotten to sleep until late the night before. The events had replayed over and over in her mind. "I was throwing around a lot of healing energy. What if it wasn't just my mother I was healing?"

"You think they're being controlled? Like the people in the jewelry store, or the fortune teller?" Mamoru asked, his frown drawing his eyebrows together. "Is it possible that none of them are actually evil?"

"I don't know. Sometimes I have dreams. Vivid dreams. And when I can remember them at all, I seem to recognize people. My brother, my cousin Haruki, Ami and Rei and Makoto. Even Sailor V. When I saw him in the store I felt like I knew him."

"What about the others?"

"Jadeite I'm not sure about. I wasn't paying attention when I first met him. Nephrite possibly, but again, I wasn't focused. Zoicite though, I felt such sadness. And this last one made me feel sad and lost."

"I've only seen Jadeite and Nephrite before now," Mamoru said, his voice quiet.

"I only saw Zoicite once," Usagi said. "You didn't make it to the battle that time. You must have had a test or been in class where you couldn't get away. He didn't do anything, just watched. I only know his name because Jadeite said it."

"Which means this last one is Kunzite, their leader," Mamoru said. "He's the one Nephrite talked about."

Usagi remembered the strange argument they had witnessed between Jadeite and Nephrite. They had apparently chosen the same target, but the two generals worked differently. Jadeite tended to be stealthy and go for a large number of targets, while Nephrite waited for one target to reach their maximum energy level before stealing it.

They had both been at the masquerade ball. That was the night when… Usagi bit her lip. That had been the night when she had accidentally had wine instead of juice. She'd been extremely tipsy, but she remembered Tuxedo Kamen's kiss. Luna had been furious. She'd yowled about his intentions the whole way home and threatened unending disembowelment if he ever kissed her again. She hid a grin at the memory. Luna might have been unobservant at times, but she really did care, and she was extremely overprotective.

Usagi sighed. She missed the way the other girls had been before. They used to laugh with her about things like that. She wondered what Ami and Makoto were thinking, and what Rei was so angry about. Not understanding what was happening between her and the priestess was upsetting.

"You okay?" Mamoru asked, and Usagi realized she'd been lost in her thoughts again.

"Yeah, I was thinking about the girls, and why things changed."

"I don't know, but hopefully it isn't permanent. I think they really do care about you."

Usagi nodded. "They do. But something happened. I just never knew what it was. Anyways, if Kunzite is coming out now, maybe he's noticed the other girls aren't around. We should be extra vigilant during and after battles. I'm still a bit worried because they can appear and disappear into those portals."

"It concerns me too. You have a family. We have to make sure that no matter what happens you don't inadvertently lead them back to your house."

"What do you think, maybe leaving the battles in a different direction each time?" Usagi asked.

Mamoru frowned. "For a start, and maybe using your disguise thing to change how you look after you release your henshin, like you did at the radio station."

Usagi nodded, hoping it would be enough. "Maybe Central can create a sort of dark energy sensor for my house. We can get one for all the Senshi family members too, and anyone who might be in danger. I've wanted to make something for Naru for a long time. She is an absolute magnet for the Negaverse. That reminds me. When you get a chance, are you willing to check out this concert that is supposed to be next Saturday. They're planning to go and I try to check those things out before they can get there." 

"Sure. When do you want to hit it?" 

"Not sure. Sometime this week," Usagi told him, biting her lip in thought. She only knew she had to protect her friend. 

Mamoru only nodded. They turned to homework then, and she pulled her satchel from her subspace pocket. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Motoki was a very animated and happy person. He nearly always had a smile. The rare exception had been the first few days after Reika had left for a dig in Africa. She had been gone since April first and he had been morose and miserable for the first week. Usagi had worried over him, and she could tell Mamoru had as well, but he had eventually bounced back and was keeping a calendar of the days until her return.

Now he was sitting on the couch looking excited. Usagi couldn't help but smile at him. Her homework for the entire weekend was done, she'd studied all of her materials, and she and Mamoru had already finished talking about their duties. Now she was wondering if Motoki had as many questions as Naru did.

"You can ask," she said, grinning at him.

"Okay! So, first, how do you heal people, give them energy, I mean, without taking it all from yourself?" Motoki's brow wrinkled after asking and Usagi couldn't help but laugh.

"I don't. It doesn't all come from me, I don't think, but a good portion of it does. I have to be very careful how and when I heal people whose energy has been stolen." She frowned, remembering. "It was an accident, the first time. Naru was unconscious and I was so afraid because she wouldn't wake up. I thought I would give her my energy if I could, and then I started to glow. That night I went to bed and didn't wake up until dinner time the next day. My mother couldn't wake me up no matter what she did, and she said it felt like I had a fever, so she let me sleep."

"Wow. But now?"

"Now I use the Moon Wand. It helps me channel the energy and that way it doesn't all come from me. I'm also careful about how much I give, and to whom. It still wears me out, so I have to be careful."

"You didn't seem tired at all yesterday," Mamoru said quietly.

Her jaw dropped. "I wasn't. And I gave it everything I had."

"That's strange," Motoki said. Then he bounced excitedly on the couch. "Can I see you transform?"

Usagi blushed. "Actually, no. I can go into a different room and come back if you really want to see, but I won't transform in front of you."

"Why?" Motoki looked extremely curious and Usagi's face flamed. She didn't want to answer his question. It was highly embarrassing.

Mamoru coughed and shook his head at Motoki. Usagi leapt up and ran into the bathroom, pulling out her brooch. Hopefully it would give him enough time to explain that some things were private. She touched her brooch and whispered her henshin phrase. A moment later bright lights and ribbons were surrounding her after her clothing melted away.

When she returned to the living room Motoki gaped at her. "You look awesome," he said. He turned to Mamoru. "You felt it when she transformed, but I had no idea anything was happening."

Mamoru nodded. "I told you, it's like a link. When she is transformed I could be in another city and point right to her. I know how she feels in a general sense."

"Like when I get bombarded with people's emotions?" Motoki asked quietly, rubbing his forehead. Sailor Moon was confused. She hadn't realized he felt the emotions of others.

"No," Mamoru answered, frowning. "It feels completely natural, like she's always been there. When I don't feel her it's like something is missing."

Her confusion was growing. She'd never really noticed feeling him when he was transformed, but now that she was thinking about it, she seemed to have a general sense of where he was. More so as Mamoru than as Tuxedo Kamen. Sometimes she had tried avoiding him in the mornings, but no matter how hard she tried, they would still bump into each other, though now instead of crashing and yelling, they talked most of the time.

Both Motoki and Mamoru looked at her. Mamoru frowned and stood. He made a sudden motion with his hand and a rose appeared. He pulled downward and with a flash of light became Tuxedo Kamen. He didn't have to speak any words, spin around, or get naked at all. She had to tamp down feelings that it was unfair.

Now that he was transformed she focused on him again, trying to discern what he might be feeling. The only thing she felt from him was curiosity, but that could have been the expression on his face giving her clues.

"Why are you annoyed?" he asked, his voice quiet and calm.

"Because you don't look ridiculous when you henshin," she answered honestly. "No nakedness with just sparkly pink light hiding you, no spinning, no ribbons... It's a bit unfair."

He laughed. "Yes well, you have a lot more power than I do."

Sailor Moon shook her head. "I'd say we're about equal, but yours seems to be locked somehow. You just haven't accessed it yet. I told you, when you really need it, it will be there."

Tuxedo Kamen nodded. It was very strange to be in his living room, transformed when there were no enemies to fight, with Motoki watching them both like they were an interesting television program.

"Where does the rose go?" Motoki asked.

Tuxedo Kamen looked at him curiously. "What rose?"

"The one you pull out when you transform."

"I didn't know there was one. I just think about transforming and it happens."

Sailor Moon grumbled. "I have to have my brooch with me at all times or I can't henshin," she explained when they both looked at her again.

"Have you ever tried without it?" Motoki asked.

She frowned and bit her lip. She actually hadn't tried. She had just assumed. Shaking her head, she sat on the couch, glad the curtains were pulled closed.

"What do the hair pieces do?" Motoki asked, changing the subject.

Sailor Moon grinned. "A couple things."

Tuxedo Kamen snorted. "Amplification of sound," he said, smiling at her. She remembered her first fight as well. She'd screamed and wanted to go home. The only thing that had kept her going was the fact that Naru had needed her. And then Tuxedo Kamen had pointed out she had an opportunity to hurt the Youma because the sound waves had injured her.

"They also help me sense when someone is in danger. I also have a mask that helps me find someone in danger, but I don't really need it most of the time."

The conversation went on for a short time, with Motoki asking questions of both her and Tuxedo Kamen. Eventually they both released their transformations and just sat around talking. Before long they were discussing the realities of being a super hero versus what was shown on television and in manga, which were two very different things.

When Usagi left two hours later, Motoki walked with her until they reached the corner of her street before waving goodbye. She hurried home and checked on her mother and brother. Her father was out working on an article. Running up to her room, she found Luna at the window, sleeping on the sill. It was silly. The cat could have come inside if she'd really wanted to.

Usagi opened the window and gently pulled Luna inside, trying not to wake her. Settling the little black cat on her pillow, she ran her fingers over the soft fur on her head and gave her a soft smile. It looked like Luna was more than ready to come back home again.

She didn't mind. She was ready too. It had been obvious to her that the feline advisor was truly trying to make amends, and not lose herself in the fruitless search again. Usagi went into the bathroom to shower and wash her hair, then spent a long time brushing it dry, sitting comfortably in her pajamas before climbing into bed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Monday  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Usagi and Luna were both pulled from their dreams just after four the next morning when the Moon computer alarmed. Sitting up and rubbing her eyes, Usagi pressed the Earth button on her communicator and waited for a sleepy Mamoru to answer.

"Youma," she whispered, and waited for his nod. "Near the shopping district."

"On my way."

Usagi hurried to climb out of bed and picked up her brooch, wand, and disguise pen. A moment later she was climbing out the window and onto the balcony, followed by Luna. She picked her advisor up and leapt to the grass below. With the cat on her shoulder, Usagi made her way to the closest spot to henshin, which was an 'L' shaped alley she had used several times in the past.

"Moon Prism Power, Make Up," she said in a quiet voice. Her transformation took her, bright lights reflecting on the alley walls. A moment later Luna was back on her shoulder and she was leaping from rooftop to rooftop over the city.

"Remember to call me Moon at all times, okay Luna?"

"Okay. I think maybe it was an adjustment for me too in the beginning, wasn't it?"

Sailor Moon smiled, remembering how the poor cat barely knew what to tell her. With the other girls Luna's interactions had been instinctive as well. She tended to call them by the name of their planet, and automatically assumed they knew their attacks. And, of course, they did. Without prompting the others had been able to perform attacks easily.

Moon on the other hand, had found it to be a lot more work, and nothing came automatically. Even her first attack, using the tiara, had come from Luna, who had seemed almost as confused as the new heroine at the time.

Now however, Sailor Moon was becoming more and more aware of the Negaverse, and was able to sense when Youma were close. She had increased her fighting abilities and was beginning to have instincts about when and how to dodge. It almost seemed as though her fellow Senshi had been trained since childhood, and that was why they had instincts, while she was new to the game and was learning as she went.

She found the Youma easily. It was wandering around the shopping district, seemingly confused. It was another female, this one in a brown body suit that had paws on the hands and feet made of soft cotton. A teddy bear sat on her head and more were being thrown from a light patch in her belly whenever something moved. The only unfortunate victims of her attack were a sheet of paper and what appeared to be a rat or mouse.

Sailor Moon didn't bother to call out an introduction. The Youma wasn't looking in her direction. Luna leapt to the ground and Moon simply pulled her tiara from her forehead, charged it with a whisper, and threw the weapon at the creature's back. It screamed in pain and turned around, looking frustrated and angry.

Thinking quickly, Sailor Moon dodged to the left and rolled as the Youma released several more of the teddy bears from her abdomen. She felt the arrival of Tuxedo Kamen behind her and moved backwards to him.

"I think this one was made to target kids," she said, barely banking the anger in her voice. She'd seen several of this type of Youma, and they always upset her.

"If it's like the last one, you should probably aim for the bear on her head then," Tuxedo Kamen sad quietly.

She nodded, charged her tiara again and threw it, severing the stuffed toy from the Youma. There was a shrill scream, and then dust was falling to the ground where the Youma had once stood. She sighed in relief.

"Hey," Tuxedo Kamen said, looking at her now that the danger had passed. "I don't see any of them, but be careful anyways."'

"I haven't seen or felt anything either. You be careful too."

"Night Moon," he whispered.

"Night Kamen," she answered just as quietly.

After they said their goodbyes Sailor Moon headed toward the docks. She didn't want to take any chances.

Luna leapt back to her shoulder, but Sailor Moon stayed on the ground, so she wouldn't be easily noticed. Running though dark alleys and quiet streets, she eventually turned and started going closer to home. When she found a shadowy corner in an already dark alley, she released her henshin and pulled out the Disguise Pen. "Make me a man," she whispered, then felt the strange power overwhelm her.

"You look so weird," Luna sniggered.

Usagi giggled, which sounded incredibly strange with a man's vocal cords. In fact, she thought she sounded like someone on the edge of insanity. Shaking her head, she and Luna made their way out of the alley and towards home. She changed back into herself in the alley where she had transformed, making sure to watch carefully before she exited the safety of the shadows. When she didn't see anyone, or feel any danger, she hurried toward her home.

Only one other person passed her by. She couldn't make much out in the darkness, but she thought it was a young man with light blonde hair.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
The day seemed long, but good, to Usagi, who had woken up far too early, and couldn't go back to sleep in the little time left when she'd arrived home. Instead she had gotten ready for school and gone downstairs to surprise her mother and brother by making herself and Shingo their bento boxes for lunch.

Of course, since she was the one making them, they weren't quite as healthy or as pretty as what her mother would prepare. She thought she'd made up for it by adding double chocolate chunk cookies to each box and peeled a nashi pear for Shingo and sliced it carefully, then put a peach in her own. With some teriyaki chicken and onigiri (rice balls) stuffed with tuna that she pressed into a bunny mold for herself and a panda mold for her brother, the lunches were done to the best of her ability.

Usagi had made herself some toast with jam and left for school early, her bunny emblazoned bento in one hand, her satchel in the other. Since she had been so early she was able to stop at the arcade and say hello to Motoki, and Mamoru, who was also out early. Then she'd made her way to school. At the gate she met a young blonde girl who looked so similar to herself that she blinked in confusion.

"Hello," she said brightly, excited to see not only a new face, but another blonde. "I'm Tsukino Usagi. You must be new here."

"Aino Minako," the other girl said with a small bow. She grinned at Usagi and together they walked into the building.

She showed the new girl to the office and waved goodbye, heading to homeroom and Haruna-sensei. On the way the school nurse stopped her to let her know Ayaka was doing well and was back in school as of that morning. Usagi grinned happily at the news and went to class.

Makoto gave her a shy smile the moment she walked in the door and Usagi felt hope rising in her chest. When Ami nodded to her as well, the feeling nearly doubled, until it felt like she was floating on air. There was hope. Finally, some hope. Neither of them seemed angry with her anymore. She wished she'd asked Luna more about how they were all doing, but her mind had been filled with the strange Youma, the odd appearance of the fourth Dark General, and her own dreams, which were far too hazy to remember.

Minako was put into her class and because Naru was absent, and Usagi was usually bright and cheerful, Haruna-sensei asked her to be the guide for the new student. By lunchtime Usagi was starving and led the other blonde outside and under the trees to rest in the shade with their bento boxes.

"Oh, my goodness," Minako exclaimed. "I'd forgotten how quiet everyone is here."

Usagi giggled. "Only during school hours. If you go to the Crown after classes you'll see an entirely different world!" She waved her arms as she talked excitedly about all the games and the people. "Toki-onii-san is always friendly and smiles a lot. Everyone likes him. Then there is Crane Game Joe. He was born in America, but he's been here most of his life. He waits until they refill the machine and then wins all the best stuff out of it and donates it to the orphanage or the kids at the hospital. He's really quiet, but if you just sit and watch, sometimes he will give you one. And then there's my Mamoru-baka. He tutors me and is a good friend. He's very quiet, but kind. We used to fight a lot though. Hmm. There are a lot of us here who go once or twice a week."

She took a bite of her food, swallowed and added. "I go nearly every day, because I love it so much there. They have western foods, like cheeseburgers and chili-fries and all sorts of other foods."

Minako giggled. "Maybe they have fish and chips. I really like them. I've been in England for a almost a year and got hooked."

"We can ask Toki," Usagi said, and hoped it was something they served.

When classes were over for the day she practically dragged Minako out of the school and towards the arcade. Sitting on a bench over the canal was the same young silvery blonde teen she had seen in the arcade the day before. She waved at him and smiled as they passed. He smiled but made no move to wave. Still, it was an improvement.

She had to study with Mamoru, but they pushed the session back so Usagi could show her new friend the Sailor V game, where she had the second highest score. Only Ami's score topped hers. The genius had only played the game once and had been the champion ever since. It still made Usagi smile to remember that. Minako did pretty well too, though she was easily distracted by the noises from other games and any people who came in. She wanted to know who everyone was and had a million questions about everything.

After a triple chocolate shake Mamoru told her it was time to go. She grumbled and groaned about it, wanting to spend a few more minutes with Minako, but she left with him. They sat in their usual spot in the library and began working on her math. She had a test the following morning she was hopeful she would do well on, if she could get some descent sleep.

When she left the library, she saw the same teen with silvery white hair. Something about him stuck in her mind. She almost felt like she should know him but couldn't place from where. She smiled at him as she passed, talking quietly with Mamoru who was giving her last-minute reminders on her math.

Thankfully there were no other attacks during the day, and dinner at home was quiet but happy. Her mother was in the middle of another project and her father was busy doing research for an article, so Usagi and Shingo spent most of the evening after their chores playing Sailor V and teasing one another.

That night, as she was climbing into bed, she thought happily that it was a wonderful day in the life of Tsukino Usagi.


	6. Followed

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Tuesday  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tuesday morning rolled around far differently than Monday had. Usagi slept deeply through the night, without a single nightmare, woke up as her alarm rang, and when she went downstairs her mother had her bento box packed for her and a huge smile on her face. There was nothing to distract Usagi from her mother's happy expression. In fact, Usagi thought her mother looked incredibly beautiful, her hair pulled up out of her face as she cut out her father's most recent article.

"You seem to be in a great mood this morning," Usagi said, kissing her mother's cheek and grabbing at the toast that had just popped up from the toaster.

"I really am," Ikuko said, smiling. "Someone delivered all of my supplies this morning," she added, pointing at a bag on the counter. "I was planning to go back to the store, but now I don't have to."

Usagi grinned when she noticed the rose at the top. "Tuxedo Kamen," she whispered.

Her mother nodded. "It was very sweet of him," she added.

"It really was," Usagi said, smelling the rose. "What did dad say?"

"That he better not have a crush on me," Ikuko giggled. "Which made me even happier. He doesn't get jealous very often," she added in a soft tone. "I sort of like it."

Usagi giggled. "Daddy jealous? You adore him. It's so obvious."

Her mother nodded. "But still, extra kisses and hugs before he left for work. Men are a bit strange, but I don't mind in the slightest." She laughed.

"I have that math test this morning," Usagi reminded her mother. "Whenever I study with Mamoru and I have a test he gets really focused and if I do well he gives me a Hershey's Kiss."

Her mother nodded. "Maybe he likes you."

Usagi blushed.

"You like him," her mother said quietly. "I could see it on Saturday."

Usagi nodded and sat down beside her mother, leaning her head on the comforting shoulder. "I'm worried though," she explained. "He's a couple years older than me, and much smarter. He's also incredibly handsome."

"Well you are smart yourself, just in different ways. You have a way of seeing into people, and you think around problems in your own unique way. Also, you are absolutely beautiful. Any boy would be lucky to date you."

"If dad lets them," Usagi said with a snort. "He doesn't seem ready to realize I'm a teenager."

"He knows it. He just doesn't like it. If he had his way the only person you ever date would be the one you eventually marry."

They both giggled at that.

"You have to hurry if you're going to make it on time. Shingo already left. They had an early meeting of his club, so he ran out almost as fast as you do in the mornings."

Usagi checked the clock and stood, giving her mother one last kiss. She folded her second piece of toast in half and stuffed it in her mouth before grabbing her satchel and heading for the door. "Love you mom!" she called as she changed into her shoes.

"Love you too Usagi," her mother called back, and then Usagi hurried out the door and almost ran face first into Mamoru's chest. He caught her by the shoulders and steadied her.

"Morning Usagi," he said. "Did your mom find my gift?"

Usagi grinned up at him. "She did, and she loved it." She grabbed his hand and tugged him down the walk. "Thank you. I was really worried about her going back out without me. Maybe it's silly, but I don't care."

"I know you were a bit freaked," Mamoru said.

Usagi only nodded. She let go of his hand slowly as they reached the sidewalk and hurried toward their schools. "Are we studying or training this afternoon?"

"No. I thought you deserved a break since you have a math test this morning. I thought you might want to spend a bit more time with Minako or hang out with Naru at the arcade. I've got a paper to write with Motoki so I'll be at the counter hounding him."

Usagi grinned at that. Whenever the two of them had a project together Motoki was the one who came up with a majority of the wild ideas, but Mamoru chased them down and put them into words.

"Have the two of you chosen a topic yet?" she asked.

"No. I wonder what he'll think of this time."

When they parted Usagi turned back to wave and caught Mamoru staring at her. Their eyes met and locked for a long moment before both of them turned away. She hurried on toward her school and met up with Minako who was standing at the gate. She knew Naru was going to be back and was excited to introduce her two friends.

Naru ran over from one of the benches a moment later. "Usagi!" she shouted, hugging her. "I missed you."

"I missed you too. This is Aino Minako. Osaka Naru. Minako is a new student in our class."

"Hi!" Naru waved and grinned as she spoke. "Wow! Her last name should be Tsukino," she continued looking back and forth between the two blondes. "You two could be sisters."

Usagi and Minako both giggled as they moved into the building and went to their lockers to change into slippers.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
"Can I talk to you?" Makoto asked, coming up to Usagi just as the bell rang for lunch.

She nodded and the two of them walked to the side of the classroom, next to the windows. She saw Ami standing by the door at the back of the classroom and Minako and Naru waiting at the one in the front, but turned and focused all of her attention on Makoto.

"What's up?" she asked, hopefully.

Makoto shook her head, swinging her ponytail back and forth. Usagi was struck again by just how beautiful her friend was and wondered what she wanted to talk about.

"I'm not sure," Makoto said, her voice quiet. "My mind is all twisted up about what is right and wrong and how to make sense of it all," she admitted. "Sometimes I think you're right, and other times I think Rei is, but most of the time I just feel confused and hurt."

Usagi sighed. Those were feelings she could understand very well. She empathized. More, she hoped this meant that soon she would have all of her friends back with her.

"A lot of it doesn't make sense, does it?" Usagi asked gently.

Makoto's ponytail swung again. The beautiful curly hair swung gently.

"Do you understand why I was feeling so hurt and angry?" Usagi asked.

A small nod, and then a shrug followed her question. "I know part of it is because of Rei not helping you during the battle," she said quietly. "And I think part of it was because we are all a bit hard on you." She frowned. "I only know I was afraid if I wasn't hard on you, you'd end up hurt, or worse, dead." She bit her lip. "Does that make sense?"

Usagi frowned. In a way, perhaps, it did make sense. But that didn't explain their refusal to help her train, or the way they got on her case about things that had nothing to do with being a Senshi. It didn't explain the rash of cruel things said at her expense, or the way they insisted she couldn't manage on her own.

"It would make sense if you spent your time training with me Makoto," she said after a long silence. "It would make sense if the focus was only on what I was doing wrong in a fight. But when my little brother of all people asks me to stop being part of the group for my own safety, there is no other option."

"Shingo knows?" Makoto asked, frowning. "Why did you tell him?"

"I didn't," Usagi explained, frustrated that Makoto had made the assumption, even if it was logical. "He found out about two months ago I think, when Luna yelled at me, not realizing he was home."

"Oh. Sorry," she murmured. "I miss you."

"I miss you too Mako-chan. I miss all of you so much. But I have to do what's right for everyone, and I think maybe the time apart will help. I'm not alone. I do have Tuxedo Kamen to help me, and Luna is getting good at helping in her own way. I know she talked to Central about the situation, and I think maybe they might be helping her. I just want you all to know I don't want our friendships to end. I love all three of you. You're my sisters as much as my friends. It just isn't safe to fight together until we trust one another again."

"You don't trust me?" Makoto asked, sounding hurt.

"I trust you with my life," Usagi explained, "but I don't trust that you'll listen. And until you do listen, it's too dangerous for you to be on the battlefield. And Ami and Rei too. It isn't just my safety I worry about. It's all of us. What happens if Rei doesn't listen when I give an order and because she doesn't she gets hit from behind by a second Youma no one saw but me? Trust has to go both ways. She has to trust me. All of you do, or you won't listen. If you don't listen, you can't fight with me."

"Okay," Makoto looked like she was on the verge of tears and Usagi instinctively threw her arms around her friend.

"Please come back to me soon," she whispered, then ran to Naru who put an arm around her and led her outside. Minako followed them, looking worried.

"Is everything okay?" she asked.

"It will be," Usagi said, determined to find a way to make that true.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Naru had a club meeting after school and Minako said she would be busy for the afternoon, so Usagi found herself walking to the arcade alone. As she passed over the canal she saw the same young man with silver hair. Again she got the sense that she should know him, but couldn't place why. She waved to him as she passed and this time he waved and smiled back.

A moment later she heard him calling out to her. "Wait up, please?"

She turned to see him stacking his books and hurrying toward her. Tucking all the books under one arm, he bowed to her politely.

"Hi," he said. "I see you all the time, and I was wondering about that boy you were with in the arcade. I feel like I know him from somewhere, but I can't put my finger on it and it's driving me crazy."

"Which one?" Usagi asked. "The blonde is Motoki and the one with dark hair is Mamoru."

"Mamoru," he clarified. "I swear I've met him before. It's like I know him from another lifetime or something and I just can't figure it out."

"Maybe you go to his school," she suggested.

He shook his head. "No, I saw his uniform. He doesn't go to the public high school. I don't know. Maybe he was in the orphanage with me when we were younger." He shrugged. "I don't suppose it matters, but it was bothering me." He looked down for a moment. "I have to run, maybe I'll see you around."

Usagi was about to speak again when he hurried away and she realized they hadn't even exchanged names. She frowned. She'd only been seeing him for a few days, but he was everywhere she turned. Maybe it was because he was trying to learn how he knew Mamoru. She shrugged and turned back toward the arcade.

Usagi felt a change in the air as she walked and turned to see a Youma on the street behind her. Already it was throwing pieces of hard shell at pedestrians. She heard people cry out in pain as they fell.

She ducked into an alley and transformed, pressing the button for Mamoru. After quickly telling him where she was and what was happening, she hurried back out of the alley.

Sailor Moon moved quickly, leaping up onto the roof of a parked car and making a leap to the top of a tall wall. She tore her tiara from her head and charged it, the motions natural to her after so much practice. The tiara flew out of her hand and toward the Youma in a graceful arc. She knew before it hit that it would do no good.

The Youma resembled nothing so much as a crab. A hard shell covered the creature except for a single spot at the neck. The tiara came back to her and she put it on her head, pulling the Moon Wand in the same smooth motion.

"Moon Healing Escalation!" she screamed, and the light filled the street. People who had been passed out on the sidewalk began to stir as soon as the words escaped her mouth. The Youma roared in anger, looking around at them and began to charge Sailor Moon.

Without letting up on the Wand, she pulled her tiara and charged it again. This time she aimed carefully at the Youma's neck where there was a break in the shell. The creature crumbled to dust. Her healing seemed to last a fraction longer than normal and she looked around her carefully. The silver-haired general was standing at the mouth of an alley.

"Who are you, really?" he asked. Then he was stepping backwards into a portal, his face a mask of confusion. He stayed there, staring at her for a long moment before he took the final step and disappeared.

Sailor Moon turned to the people who were just rising. She pressed the button to contact first responders and moved toward them, unsure if they were completely healed or not. Most seemed to be fine, though there was one young woman who was far too pale and thin and looked as though she might be homeless.

Sailor Moon helped her sit up and leaned her back against a wall. "Are you alright?" she asked. "You can hardly move."

"I'm just hungry," the woman explained. "You saved me. I'll be okay."

"Do you have anywhere to go?" Usagi asked.

"My husband and I are in the park at night," she said quietly. "We're okay," she added.

Sailor Moon nodded. She had noticed the homeless in the parks. They tended to stay as far away from others as they could and never asked for help, which upset her as she knew there were plenty who would help if attention was brought to them. Her school nurse would, that was certain.

"Where is your husband? Is he nearby?"

"He found work for a couple of days," the woman explained.

After discovering which park the woman lived in she turned to see Tuxedo Kamen standing protectively over both of them. "I'll get her home," he said quietly. Sailor Moon nodded and watched as he leaned in and scooped the woman up. She was so thin she thought she herself outweighed the woman.

She reached into her subspace pocket and took out several of the snacks she kept there. "Here. It isn't much, and I don't need it," she added when the woman looked about to protest. She finally nodded and Sailor Moon sighed in relief.

As soon as they were gone she looked carefully around. There was only one ambulance left in the area. The paramedics were checking over one man who seemed to be dizzy still. She made her way to them and asked if he was alright. When he nodded and explained he only had low blood sugar she made her way to the rooftops and watched as the street cleared.

No more than fifteen minutes had passed since the attack began and to the untrained eye it would appear nothing had happened. A small pile of dust lay in the street, but there were no pieces of shell left. She was sure there were probably spots of blood, but none of them large which meant no one was seriously injured.

When her masked hero finally returned he suggested it was the perfect time to make sure the concert Naru and Umino wanted to attend was clear of Youma. She smiled up at him and together they made their way across town. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sailor Moon nodded to Tuxedo Kamen as they made their way into the stadium. The place was empty and their footsteps echoed. She could sense the Youma now that they were close, and the Moon computer pinged the moment they passed through the doorway. "There is a Youma," she whispered, staying close to him as they made their way through the back hallways that led away from the huge open auditorium. 

"I can feel it too," he whispered back. "That's a new one," he added. "I've never really noticed it before." 

"Like something gross is hanging in the air," she clarified and Tuxedo Kamen nodded. "Up this way, I think," she said, and pointed to one of the hallways that branched to the side. They moved swiftly, not wanting to give away their positions, but wanting to make sure they got through before they were caught by any human guards. 

Inside a small dressing room they found something that horrified them. Inside a hard petrified green material in a tub was the girl who was supposed to be performing that weekend. Sailor Moon pulled her wand while Tuxedo Kamen guarded the door. He whispered for her to hurry and she spoke quietly, so as not to be heard. "Moon Healing Escalation," she said, and watched as the green material melted and dripped down the drain. 

The girl wept quietly, staring at Sailor Moon. "It was a monster," she said, and opened her mouth as though to scream. Instinctively Sailor Moon put a hand over it. 

"Stay quiet. We don't know where it is right now. We're going to take care of it, but until we do, stay hidden, okay?" 

She sniffled and nodded. Sailor Moon let go and made her way to the door. "Keep the door closed and don't open it for anyone but us." 

Again the girl nodded and she and Tuxedo Kamen made their way into the rest of the dressing room. They found the creature in the bedroom, searching through the clothing in the trunk at the foot of the bed. Sailor Moon charged her tiara with a whisper and destroyed the Youma before it even noticed they were there. They both checked for anything that could be used against the performer or any fans, and found nothing. 

"This is what Luna gave me," Sailor Moon told Tuxedo Kamen, holding out a sensor that had been built. "It will send out an alarm if another Youma appears to take her place."

They gathered the frightened singer and helped her to bed, then made their way out of the arena with no one the wiser. A few minutes later both of them hurried away into the night. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
"Who are you, really?"

The words echoed in Usagi's mind. She lay on her stomach across the bed, her legs swinging in the air as she thought again about the question. Mamoru and Luna were both on edge after she had explained what happened. Was the Dark General after her? Did he know something about who she was? What was happening?

Usagi sighed. She was worried too. The last thing she wanted was to have the leader of the generals fixated on her. They had both gone into the command center in the basement and spoken to Luna after the double battles.

Now Usagi was home. Luna had come with her, and Mamoru as well, to make sure she arrived safely, but both had left after. Mamoru had returned to the arcade to work on his paper and Luna had left after diner to talk to Central about the evening's events.

Usagi was now trying to work through the problem. The general had seemed confused by her. She didn't understand. Who was he? Why did he seem to be so captivated by her?

Usagi laid her head on the pillow she had bunched up under her and closed her eyes to think it through, and slipped into dreams.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Wednesday  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Endymion!"

Usagi sat upright in her bed, panting and groaning. There was an echo of remembered pain in her upper abdomen and feelings of horror and sadness filled her. Tears slipped down her cheeks and she swiped at them. Desperately she tried to remember the dream, but it slipped away from her as always.

A breeze made Usagi shiver and she looked toward the window. Her mouth opened, ready to scream when she saw who stood there. Dressed in a dark grey uniform stood Dark General Kunzite. His hand was out as though he planned to strike at her or perhaps plead with her. No sound escaped her mouth as her hand snuck to her nightstand. She was terrified. There was no other word for it.

The brooch she had reached for felt cool under her palm. She pulled it towards her, ready to henshin and get the man away from her family.

"Wait," he whispered.

Usagi acted without thought instead. Instantly, wordlessly, she transformed. She'd never done that before. There were no lights, no flashes of sparkles, and no ribbons. It had been instantaneous.

Sailor Moon sat in the bed, staring at the Dark General, wondering what her next move should be. The wand fell into her palm. She hadn't reached for it. Kunzite stood still, staring at her. He made a croaking sound.

"Princess," he whispered. "He has found the princess…" And then he was gone.

Without thought, again acting on pure instinct, Usagi lifted the wand and held it in front of her, making a wish. 'Please,' she thought, 'please don't let anyone controlled by the Dark Kingdom come to my house again. Please don't let them hurt my family. Keep my family safe from their evil, unable to be touched or turned by them.'

There was a bright, silvery glow from the wand and as she watched it grew and spread until the entire house room was bathed in the silvery light and she could feel it spreading throughout the house, and further. She felt it cover her mother, father, and brother, and far in the distance her uncle and cousin who were the last remaining members of her family, living in Kofu. She covered Luna as well, knowing her advisor was more than just a friend. She was family too. The light began to fade, and then she felt the remainder sink into her own skin. She would have to protect Mamoru and the girls as well as her other friends later. 

She pressed the symbol of Earth on her communicator. "Help me," she whispered.

"I'm almost there," came the calm voice of Tuxedo Kamen. "I'm close."

"He was in my bedroom."

"Who?" he asked, and Usagi could hear panic rise in his voice. "Did he hurt you?"

She shook her head, "no, but it scared me," she whispered staring into the screen.

"I'm right outside. I'm going to run around the house and then I'll be there," he explained.

Again she only nodded. She realized she was shaking and rocking forward and back in her bed. One of the Dark Generals knew where she lived. Her trembling fingers clutched at the Moon Wand. It was her only lifeline. She could only hope and pray that whatever she had done worked. She wished Luna were there but she'd gone to meet with Central, whoever that was, and hadn't yet returned.

A noise at the window startled her and she saw Tuxedo Kamen climb into her bedroom. Instantly he was at her side and she was pulled into his arms. A great heaving sob escaped and she clutched at him, clinging to his comfort and support. The smell of coffee and roses wafted over her. In his near-calm presence she could let herself fall apart.

The sobbing didn't stop for a long time. She continued to hold on to him, the damp fabric of his tear stained tuxedo under her cheek. "I was so scared," she whispered finally.

"What happened?" he asked, brushing her hair back away from her face. She'd left it down the night before and it was a tangled mess.

"I woke up from a nightmare and he was here in my room. I saw him and transformed. He whispered something. He said, 'Princess. He has found the princess,' and then he was gone.

"He didn't touch you?" Tuxedo Kamen sounded strange when he asked and Sailor Moon looked up at him to see worry and sadness in his face.

She shook her head. "No. I don't think so. Not while I was awake. I think I would have woken up if he'd touched me," she added.

"You did wake up," he said in a strangled voice.

"That was the dream. I always wake up from the end of the dream, even though I don't remember it, it's always the same feelings."

He nodded and held her tighter for a long moment. "I was so afraid," he whispered. "When I felt you transform and the fear and shock and then I felt the power… I don't think I've ever been so worried in my life,"

She nodded. "I was afraid he would hurt my family."

"Is that what you did? Protected them somehow?"

Sailor Moon released her henshin, letting the somewhat smaller and weaker form of her daily self rest in the arms of her masked protector.

"I'm not sure exactly what I did. I made a wish and I watched and felt as it worked. I put every bit of thought and energy into it though. Everything in me went into that wish. That my family would be safe from anyone in the Dark Kingdom, and that no one under their influence could come here."

She felt him nod over her head.

"Usagi, I…" he paused. "I don't think I could handle it if something happened to you."

Shocked, Usagi looked up into his eyes. They were filled with turmoil and anxiety. "I can't lose you either," she admitted. She wanted to burst out with the truth that she loved him, but she was afraid.

His hand moved so that it was under her chin and he moved his face closer to hers. Inch by inch his mouth lowered and then his lips were pressed against hers in a sweet, gentle kiss. "Usako," he whispered, and then kissed here again, just the bare brushing of his lips over hers before he buried his face in her neck and just held on.

Usagi was stunned, and slightly overwhelmed. She had been fighting her feelings for him for so long that she wasn't sure how to act. She held tighter to him and prayed that this meant he felt the same way about her.

They both started at a sound and looked to see Luna had jumped into the bedroom. Neither moved more than that though. Usagi was afraid to let go of him. Afraid if he disappeared awkwardness would erupt between them, or worse, the Dark General would come back.

"Why didn't you answer?" Luna asked. "What happened? I felt… something."

Usagi realized the line was still open between her communicator and Mamoru's.

Tuxedo Kamen spoke. "Dark General Kunzite was here," he explained. "He said something to Usagi and she used the Wand to make sure neither he, or anyone else controlled by the Dark Kingdom could come to her house or attack her family."

"Are you okay? Did he hurt you?" Luna's voice had risen and they both shushed her, praying none of her family had woken.

"I'm okay Luna. Just upset and worried." Usagi sniffled, and hoped she didn't start crying again. "It scared me."

Luna climbed up into Usagi's lap and began purring. Being cuddled by the cat and held close by Tuxedo Kamen, she finally felt more calm. She was still worried. They would have to do something to protect her family.

"The way I see it, we only have two options," Luna said. "We can either heal Kunzite, or destroy him."

The blunt way she said it was upsetting, but Tuxedo Kamen was nodding in agreement and Usagi had to finally admit they were right. She hoped, for his sake, and theirs, that they could heal him.

"We need a plan," she said finally. "We have to capture him if we're going to heal him."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
The morning passed in a blur for Usagi. She hadn't been able to sleep. Instead she had checked on her parents and little brother several times, paced back and forth across her bedroom, and talked to Luna and Mamoru, who had left only briefly before returning dressed and ready for school.

Usagi wasn't sure exactly what time she had woken from her dream, but when she actually thought to look at her communicator it had been just past four in the morning. She had brushed her hair and gotten dressed while Mamoru had been gone, but he was sitting in her desk chair thinking over the possible plans they could make.

Usagi had her own ideas. "I think we should wait until the next fight. You stay hidden, watching from a tree or the roof of a building or something. The minute you see him, use the vines. You'll have to practice making them come instantly when you want them though. If he can move he can probably open one of those portals."

Mamoru nodded as she spoke. "Then you pull the Wand and heal him?" he asked.

She shook her head. "No. We have to move him somewhere, just in case one of the other Generals comes looking for him. We can't have them find him just after he has been healed."

"That makes sense," Luna said, pacing along the edge of the bed. "What we need to do is find a way to move him quickly and quietly. It doesn't have to be far. Even into an alley should do. Can your vines manage it Mamoru-san?" she asked.

Mamoru frowned. "I'll make sure of it," he promised. "I can't let Usako be in danger like this again," he continued.

Usagi realized his slip and grinned as Luna's head whipped around. She stared between the two of them and Usagi couldn't help blushing a little. Mamoru moved towards her and put an arm around her waist.

"There's no point in my denying it Luna. I really care about Usagi."

"And I care about him," Usagi admitted, the red stain in her cheeks growing.

They continued working on their plan until they heard others stirring in the house. Mamoru left, but she could see him sitting in the tree outside her window. She sighed and turned to Luna.

"You don't just care about him," Luna said wisely. "I'm pretty sure you love him."

Usagi nodded. "I have for a while. Since shortly after he started tutoring me." She saw no point in lying to her companion.

"It will only make you both work harder to protect one another," Luna said after a moment. "Just have a care that you don't let romance distract you when you should be alert. That's all I ask."

Usagi agreed. "I won't.," she promised.

The next half hour passed incredibly slowly, then Mamoru rang the doorbell. Usagi was busy in the kitchen helping her mother with a piece in her scrapbook that wouldn't stay still as she tried to glue it, so her father answered the door. She heard several moments of quiet murmuring before they both came into the kitchen. Her father had an odd look on his face and Mamoru looked happy.

The whole thing made Usagi curious, but she didn't ask.

Within a few minutes she and Mamoru were out the door, Luna on her shoulder as they walked down the street. She saw the same silvery-blonde teen and waved to him. He waved back and smiled but seemed to be in a hurry as he was rushing down the street in the opposite direction.

"He was asking about you yesterday," Usagi told Mamoru as they walked. "I didn't catch his name, but he said he recognized you and wasn't sure from where. Seemed to think he remembered you from an orphanage or someplace."

Mamoru nodded. "I'll try to talk to him at some point then," he said quietly. "I talked to your father this morning," he continued.

Usagi looked up at him, wondering what he was about to say.

"He says we can date," he continued, stopping her.

Luna seemed to think the moment deserved privacy and leaped onto the wall, moving ahead a little ways before pausing to wait for them. Usagi looked into his eyes, feeling a little lost. She had never dated before, and had given him her first kiss. Though he had in fact stolen a kiss once before that, she suddenly remembered. She wasn't sure exactly what to do now though.

"I'd like that," she admitted, blushing.

Mamoru bent down and kissed her. His lips tasted of coffee. It was a chaste kiss, but romantic. She smiled up at him when they parted, and he took her hand. She leaned in and rested her head on his chest for a long moment.

When they began walking again Luna moved with them, but stayed on the wall. They made their way toward the middle school. "Aren't you going to school?" Usagi asked.

Mamoru nodded. "Yes, but first I'm going to walk my girlfriend to school." He blushed when he said it and Usagi giggled. She liked the sound of that.

"Thank you Mamo-chan," she said, and her face felt like it was burning.

He grinned and swung her hand gently.

"You're welcome Usako," he said, and smiled.

When they reached the gates of the school he turned toward her and gave her another kiss, this one a bit more heated. It was still chaste, for which Usagi was grateful. He was sweet and romantic with her, one hand resting on her neck as he caressed her lips with his own. She couldn't stop smiling up at him.

"Be safe," she whispered when he pulled away.

"You too," he said and hugged her quickly before turning and hurrying toward the high school.


	7. Everything Changes

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Wednesday  
(continued)  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Usagi" Naru screeched, running towards her as she passed the gate.

She looked up into her friend's eyes and saw a huge, slightly shocked grin. Blushing, she moved to intercept, and hush, her best friend.

"Mamoru kissed you!" the redhead exclaimed happily.

Usagi's blush deepened. "I know that," she said, grabbing Naru by the arm and pulling her off the path. "I was there."

"How long has this been going on?" Naru asked.

"Since very early this morning. I promise I will explain everything, but he asked my father for permission to date me. Apparently my father agreed, which I never thought would happen."

"Wow," Naru breathed. "That is so romantic."

Usagi giggled. "It is, isn't it?"

Naru nodded. "So when is your first date?" she asked.

"I don't know. It all happened so suddenly."

"Well, I'm glad it finally did. The two of you have been making eyes at each other for months."

They made their way into the building, still talking quietly, and went to their class. Usagi was exhausted. She'd been up very early that morning and the fear, shaking, and crying had taken a lot out of her. As the school day progressed she found herself nodding off in her chair and eventually had to pinch herself every few minutes to stay awake.

At lunch Naru and Minako hounded her for details of the kisses she had shared with Mamoru. She laughed and blushed and told them about Mamoru coming to her house and asking her father's permission to date her, and the kiss they had shared shortly after leaving. She would explain the rest to Naru later, but she didn't want to say what happened in her bedroom in front of Minako. No one else needed to be dragged into the dangerous parts of her life.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Usagi hated walking alone after what had happened during the night, but Naru and Minako both were busy and Mamoru wouldn't be out of school until nearly an hour later, so she walked toward the arcade by herself. Her mind was racing with all the possibilities. She knew she couldn't kill the Dark General without having tried to save him, but she didn't know how to do it. She only knew she had to try.

It was a beautiful afternoon. Sunny and warm, with birds chirping at the edges of the park. She passed the canal, but didn't see the silver-haired boy. She watched teens moving in and out of large department stores along the way.

Screams startled Usagi and she turned to see people streaming out of a clothing store geared toward teenagers. Running into the closest alley she stowed her satchel in her subspace pocket and transformed, becoming Sailor Moon. She didn't bother pressing the call button on her communicator. Mamoru was in class and couldn't come to her aid.

She hurried out of the alley and across the street to the store. By the time she arrived the place appeared empty. She sighed, hoping no one was hurt. As soon as she entered she heard laughter. General Jadeite was pointing to a cluster of people near the dressing rooms. The Youma, which appeared to be made completely of taffy, launched more of the sticky substance from its hands and mouth at the innocents huddled there.

Sailor Moon watched as the people succumbed to the energy drain and let out a loud cry of frustration and anger. Jadeite tuned.

"Sailor Moon," he said. "We meet again."

She didn't bother to respond. Instead she tore her tiara from her head and charged it, releasing it at the Youma. Horror filled her when she realized the tiara passed right through and the wound instantly healed over. She had to try something else.

Jadeite laughed at her. "This one might just keep you busy. I have you now Sailor Moon," he said. A moment later he was gone, stepping backwards into a portal, still laughing.

Catching her tiara as it returned, Sailor Moon put it on her head. She was going to have to close her eyes to use the Twilight Flash attack. She bit her lip, nervously and focused her power. A sudden sound startled her and she had to look. The Taffy Youma was launching several attacks at once. There was no way she could dodge them all.

She gasped as General Kunzite stepped between her and the attack from the Youma. The attacks seemed to disappear into him, as though they had never been. The Youma screeched angrily. Taking the chance, she closed her eyes and pulled her power up. Raising one hand she touched her tiara and screamed, "Twilight Flash!"

The Youma crumpled into dust and Sailor Moon panted, exhausted from the fight. She was grateful it was over. It had been such a strange creature and so dangerous, and more than a dozen teens were crumpled on the floor. She looked curiously at General Kunzite, but he held both hands up. It was all so confusing. Was he protecting her? If so, why.

She shook her head and focused on the customers who were passed out all over the store. Sailor Moon lifted her Wand and spoke. "Moon Healing Escalation!"

A noise made her look up and, as she watched, Dark General Kunzite took a step into the silvery glow. He fell to his knees and clutched at his chest. She saw him looking up at her. The color grey seemed to drain from his eyes to be replaced by brilliant silver.

"Save me," he whispered. "Please."

Long after the others were healed Sailor Moon poured her will into the Moon Wand. Kunzite seemed to shrink in on himself for a moment and a pained cry was torn from his lips. Then, with a flash of light, he changed. She noticed the uniform first. It had become a pale grey on the verge of white. His cloak changed, the outside white with golden trim, the lining on the inside orange. His sword melted into a different form, the symbol of earth and the symbol for north etched into the scabbard and hilt and a strange stone lodged in the pommel. And on his collar was a symbol of the moon hugging the earth.

When his gaze lifted his eyes were a pure silver that shone wetly. His skin seemed more normal, without the strange greenish hue. He stared at her, his fist pressed over his heart, tears falling from his eyes. A moment later stood. Usagi gasped, shock and confusion filling her as she realized she recognized him.

"You!" she said, stunned. Kunzite was the silver-haired youth she had been seeing for the past several days. 

He merely nodded at her words and gave a small shrug. 

"Why?"

Both of them turned at the question and she noticed Tuxedo Kamen had arrived while she healed the general. His mouth was slightly open as he stared, but Sailor Moon wasn't done. She reached for him, touching the silver hair gently, and made a wish.

'Please,' she begged silently, 'make it so Kunzite can never be turned evil again. She turned and looked at Tuxedo Kamen. 'Make it so neither myself or Tuxedo Kamen can't be turned evil. Please help us and protect us from betraying each other.'

A silver glow like she had created the night before sank into all three of them. When it was done she was panting and tired. Everyone in the store was on their feet, staring at them. Some were holding cell phones. 

"You are healed North Knight," Sailor Moon said. She was unsure where the name had come from, but it felt right. "Why?" she repeated Tuxedo Kamen's question, feeling odd.

"I started changing the day we met," Kunzite said, sounding lost. "I remembered who I was, and I was confused, angry. I blended into this world, hoping to discover who you were. And when I saw you, I also saw him…" Kunzite jerked his head toward Tuxedo Kamen. "My memories of this life, before I was taken returned. I knew him."

"Oh," Sailor Moon whispered, her mind feeling foggy. Then the world began to fade and she felt strong arms wrapping around her. The familiar smell of coffee and roses enveloped her and she fell into exhausted sleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
The sound of voices nearby woke Usagi. Her eyes still felt heavy and her body tired, but she was held tightly in warm arms. She recognized the smell of roses and coffee, and the scents of the arcade. It took a moment to realize she was in the break room. She felt a buzz of energy where the arms touched her, and realized she was feeling better by the moment.

Motoki was whispering something she couldn't make out, and then came another voice, much closer. The rumble of sound against her ear made Usagi smile. Mamoru's voice was also quiet, but he was firm in what he was saying. "He's safe Motoki, I promise you. I watched her heal him."

"But…" Motoki trailed off.

Kunzite spoke next. "She's waking," he said quietly.

"I am," Usagi said. She could tell she was no longer transformed, and neither were the others. "What happened?"

"My theory is that you used far too much energy to heal me," Kunzite said, his tone gentle.

Usagi blinked her eyes open. "I didn't just heal you," she told him. "I made it impossible for you to ever be turned again."

Mamoru's eyes widened at her explanation. "How?"

"I wished it," Usagi said, not sure how to explain further. "I made sure none of us could be turned. And I fully intend to do the same for the girls and any of the others we find or save," she told them.

Slowly she sat up. Mamoru moved her to sit beside him on the ragged couch. Motoki was sitting on a metal chair while Kunzite stood near a card table across the room. All three of them looked concerned, but Usagi was already starting to feel better. She suspected Mamoru had something to do with that. She glanced over at him. His eyes looked vivid in the bright lights and his skin almost glowed with power.

She cocked her head and met Kunzite's eyes. He nodded and looked back to Mamoru.

"Have you called Luna yet?" Usagi asked.

"She's already downstairs informing Central," Mamoru said running his fingers through one of the long streamers of her hair.

"Good. I don't want her panicking."

"It was her plan to begin with," Mamoru said.

"That was so not the plan. Kunzite saved me today, before I finished healing him."

Motoki gasped and his posture relaxed. "He did?"

Usagi only nodded. "He did. Maybe you could explain Kunzite?" she asked.

"Three times before today I have come into contact with the healing from the Moon Wand. I began to remember certain things. First was the face of Mamoru. I knew he was important, but at first I couldn't remember how. When I saw him and the girl who looked so much like Sailor Moon, I began following them both and put myself in the position to be hit with healing energy again in small doses. I remembered more and more each time until I was absolutely certain of who Mamoru is and was, and who Sailor Moon is. I'd followed her home a few days ago, and since then I have been trying to figure out who she is, really."

"What do you mean?"

"There was no Sailor Moon in our last life. No Tuxedo Kamen either."

"No, there wasn't," Luna said, coming through the door and jumping up onto the couch. "I didn't realize that at first of course. It wasn't until a few days ago I was informed by Central that there never had been a Moon Senshi before."

"Oh. Then why did you make me a Senshi?" Usagi asked, worried and confused. She suddenly felt as though she had no purpose. 

"It was necessary. I don't know why. I just know it's true." Luna said. "You are very important."

Usagi frowned. She didn't feel very important. She felt like an afterthought.

Kunzite had a strange look on his face, but said nothing.

"Who am I?" Usagi asked, wondering what she was supposed to do now that she knew. "Why am I Sailor Moon." 

"Don't worry," Kunzite said. "You will discover it in time." He sighed and his face seemed to crumple as though he was fighting overwhelming emotion. 

"Are you alright?" Motoki asked, looking at the general.

"I don't know where to go," the silver-haired youth said, looking worried.

"You'll come home with me," Mamoru said, and Usagi knew it was the only plan for the moment. "I have a spare bedroom."

"Are you certain?" he asked, his voice trembling.

Usagi suddenly realized what was happening. She quickly stood and went to the young man. He wasn't quite as tall as Mamoru, but he was much bigger than her still. She threw her arms around him in a tight hug. "It's okay," she whispered. "It's okay. It wasn't your fault."

Kunzite trembled and she felt several tears fall onto her head as he hugged her back, shaking as he tried to contain the emotion roiling within. "Isn't it? I should have… f-fought h-h-harder," he said, barely holding on to his overwhelming sadness and guilt.

Usagi wasn't sure what else to say. She knew nothing of what had been done to him to make him work for the Dark Kingdom, but she didn't imagine it was very pretty. Urging him onto the couch next to Mamoru, she sat on the armrest and looked at him.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked. "You don't have to, not yet, but it might help."

Kunzite's lower lip trembled. Usagi guessed he was probably around Mamoru and Motoki's age and looked to each of them, unsure what her next step should be.

"I hurt people," he whispered.

"How did they do this to you?" Mamoru asked gently.

Kunzite shuddered. "The coffin," he said and Usagi could feel tremors shaking him. "They put us in coffins. But they weren't really coffins. It hurt." He rubbed at his chest as he had done each time Usagi's healing had hit him.

"Then what?" Mamoru continued.

"They filled us with dark energy and stole our memories. Everything good and happy was just gone. They made us remember people doing cruel and horrible things to us and made us hate everyone."

"Oh Kunzite!" Usagi exclaimed, hugging him again. She felt horrible. She'd never known what was driving the Dark Generals to act and had fought them as though they were little more than Youma. She should have shown them compassion.

"We have to save the others," Luna said, and Usagi could see she was shaking with anger. She nodded. She would do whatever it took to save them.

"It won't be easy," Kunzite said. "I would suggest going for Nephrite next. He always seemed less under the influence than the rest of us."

"That's something we can talk about later," Motoki said. "All of that planning and everything. For right now, you need a good hearty meal and then a long sleep."

Kunzite merely nodded. Usagi worried. She wasn't sure what to expect, but she was sure this wasn't the last she would see of his upset. He needed to get it out, and it wasn't like there were counselors for such a situation. There had to be a way to help him however.

"We should get you back to my place, and Usagi needs to get home. Her parents will be worried if she isn't back soon," Mamoru explained.

"Lets take her home first then." Kunzite said quietly. "Make sure she gets there safely," he added. Again he seemed on the verge of saying something, but he closed his mouth.

"I have to stay here," Motoki said, "but if the two of you stop on your way back I'll have food ready for you, okay?"

Mamoru nodded.

"Can I get a milkshake before we leave?" Usagi asked. "Triple chocolate?"

Motoki laughed and went to the fridge in the room. "Already made it for you," he said, smiling.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
"This is a special report," the news anchor said.

Usagi turned and glanced at the screen. On it there was a photo in one corner behind the man speaking. It was a shot of Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Kamen in the clothing store with North Knight, now fully healed, kneeling at Sailor Moon's feet.

"This afternoon in a clothing store in the Azabu Juuban Shopping District in Tokyo, Sailor Moon was able to heal one of the men responsible for releasing the monsters. We have cell phone footage of the attack and the subsequent actions of the young heroine."

Usagi watched, fascinated, as the video played. She saw the Youma attacking the people in the store, her own arrival and the exchange between herself and Jadeite. Then she saw Kunzite stepping between her and the attack and heard his plea for him to save her. A hand crept up to cover her mouth as she watched and listened to the exchange.

She saw herself pass out and Tuxedo Kamen catch her, throwing his cape up and over her as the bright light of her henshin fading covered her for a moment. She was grateful for his quick thinking. She hadn't realized she had been so exposed when it happened.

"Wow," Shingo breathed.

Usagi turned to him. She hadn't heard him come up beside her. Her father and mother had also come into the room and were staring at the screen.

"That's one less person to fight," her father said softly. "I hope she's okay."

"I'm sure she is," Usagi croaked. "I bet it just wore her out."

"Do you think they are going to retaliate?" her mother asked, and Usagi started. She hadn't considered that possibility.

"I don't know," she whispered.

Thoughts reeled through her mind. Her mother told them it was time for dinner and they all moved into the dining area to eat. Usagi couldn't focus. She hadn't thought about possible consequences to what she had done. What if the Negaverse threw attacks at Tokyo left and right because of the healing? She sighed, slightly afraid for herself, and extremely worried for everyone else.

There was nothing she could do about it at the moment, so she forked a bite and chewed thoughtfully. Her parents were talking quietly throughout the meal, but Usagi wasn't paying much attention. She felt Shingo nudge her and looked up.

"Huh?"

"I asked how your test went," her mother repeated.

"Good," Usagi said. "I'm pretty sure I passed. I'll find out tomorrow I suppose."

"You've been working very hard," her father commented.

Usagi nodded. "I'm trying to do my best," she said, biting her lip. She really did want to do well. She wanted to make sure she was the best she could be in all areas of her life, not just as a Senshi.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Thursday  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Endymion!"

Usagi bolted up from her bed, throwing the covers back and, after a brief look around, hurried to the bathroom to splash water on her face to wipe away the tear streaks on her cheeks. She stared into her reflection, wishing she understood what the dreams were about and what they were trying to tell her.

Vague, blurry images remained in her mind, but as soon as she focused on them, they faded. She checked the clock on her communicator. Just after four in the morning. It was becoming almost routine. Usagi sighed and went back into her room, quickly dressing for the day.

Luna was stretching on the bed, claws extended as she arched her back sinuously. "Are you alright?" she asked, peering up at Usagi.

She nodded. "Just another dream. But they are coming every night now," Usagi explained.

"Maybe I should ask Central about them," Luna said, pensively twitching her tail. "They might be prophetic or something. We've barely touched the surface of your abilities, I'm sure."

"It's a good idea," Usagi said, moving toward her desk to finish the last of her homework. With everything that had happened the day before she and Mamoru hadn't had a chance to study.

When she was done the sun was rising and her father was already in the shower. Usagi hurried downstairs to find her mother making pancakes.

"Morning," she said, stifling a yawn.

"Morning Usagi. This is becoming a habit isn't it? You waking up early."

Usagi shrugged. "I guess so," she answered. "Lately my dreams keep waking me up."

Her mother nodded in understanding. She slid a plate in front of her and Usagi tore into the food, ravenous. She'd picked at her dinner the night before and this morning her belly apparently wanted to make up for it.

"I wanted to let you know," Ikuko said, sitting across from her at the table, "I got a call after you went to bed last night. Your uncle took a turn for the worse and it looks like he probably won't last much longer. Haruki is devastated."

"That's awful," Usagi murmured, feeling bad for her uncle, but worse for Haruki. It wasn't fair that he would lose both his parents when he was still so young. Haruki was a happy person, a lot like Usagi, with a ready grin and a joke always on his tongue. He had bright red hair and vivid green eyes and a penchant for making friends with anyone he met. She adored her cousin. He was seventeen and in high school.

"I know. I just feel so bad. I wish there was something I could do," her mother said, quiet and sad.

"When he comes I'll introduce Haruki to Mamoru," Usagi told her. "He will understand. And maybe our new friend Kunzite will too."

Usagi sighed. She was thankful the general public didn't know Kunzite by name. It would have been too difficult to hide his identity if they did. As it was, she was hoping the glamour worked for him the way it did the Senshi and Mamoru.

"Your father is going to get the room set up for him," Ikuko told her a moment later.

Usagi smiled over at her mother. "Do you know how much I love you?" she asked.

With a smile, her mother replied in the way she had since Usagi had first heard the old story. "All the way up to the moon and back," her mother replied.

Standing, Usagi kissed her mother on the cheek and grabbed her satchel. Her father came down the stairs as she passed and gave her a tight hug. She held on for a moment, the worry over her uncle reminding her again how blessed she was to have her parents.

After changing into her shoes Usagi left the house. This time she was prepared when Mamoru caught her up in a hug of his own. Kunzite was with him and smiled at her. She hurried to give him a more sisterly hug. He looked better than he had the day before.

"How are you?" he asked, his voice calm and quiet.

"Alright. Woke up around four, finished my homework and had pancakes. Can't get better than that. Thought I did get some sad news this morning. My uncle has cancer and took a downward turn yesterday."

"That's sad," Kunzite said.

Mamoru took Usagi's hand and she smiled up at him. He bent and kissed her giving her a little smirk when she sighed happily.

"Did either of you see the news last night?" Usagi asked.

Both teens nodded.

"My mother brought up something I hadn't thought about, and I don't know if either of you had. Retaliation. There is one less Dark General, and I don't know much about the Negaverse, but if I had to guess, they are not going to take that quietly."

Mamoru sighed. "We talked about that last night too. We may have to ask the other Senshi to fight as a team while we fight as a group. Do you think they might be willing?"

"I can ask," Usagi said. "I hope they are. I made progress with Makoto, which makes me happy."

"Where's Luna?" Mamoru asked suddenly.

Usagi smiled at the worry in his tone. Her advisor was obviously growing on him. "She went to talk to Central about my dreams."

"Dreams?" Kunzite asked, a strange note in his voice.

Usagi nodded. "I don't really remember them. I mean I have some vague images. I see both of your faces, but I can't remember any details later." She sighed. "Luna thinks maybe they are prophetic or something and it's a power I haven't really learned yet, but I don't know. It feels more like a memory. Does that make sense?"

"Absolutely," Kunzite said and Mamoru nodded.

They reached her school and Mamoru pulled her into his arms for a much deeper kiss than he had given her before. She felt him slide his tongue along her bottom lip and instinctively opened her mouth. Their tongues danced for a long moment before he pulled away, leaving Usagi breathless and flushed.

"Wow," she whispered.

She heard giggling behind her and turned to see Minako and Naru holding onto each other and grinning like lunatics. She mock-glared at both of them and hugged Mamoru again. She turned to say goodbye to Kunzite and noticed him staring at Minako, who had moved toward her.

She glanced at the blonde and noted a strange look on her face. If Usagi didn't know better she would have said the two of them knew each other, but it didn't seem possible. She called Minako over to her. Naru followed and nudged Usagi.

Kunzite and Minako continued to stare at one another. "Kunzite, this is Aino Minako," Usagi said quietly. She didn't know what his last name was.

"Minako, this is Ine Kunzite," Mamoru supplied.

"Hi," Minako said, sounding nervous.

"Hi," Kunzite replied, sounding awed. "Minako," he whispered.

"Kunzite," she returned.

Naru winked at Usagi and she lifted her eyebrows at her friend. Obviously there was attraction there. She felt Mamoru's hand in hers and he tugged her closer and kissed her one last time. When his head lifted she stared up at him, forgetting who and where she was for a long moment. It felt as though her brain had taken a short nap.

Unable to help herself, Usagi giggled and snuggled close to him for a long moment before pulling away. "We have to get to class," she reminded Minako, pulling gently on her arm to get her attention.

"Huh? Oh. Yeah," Minako said, stepping backwards, still staring at Kunzite.

"I promise, you can see him later, but right now we really have to go," Usagi whispered.

Minako gave a brief nod and finally turned away. Usagi grinned and winked at Mamoru as she waved goodbye. Kunzite was still staring mutely at Minako.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Minako followed Usagi to the arcade after school. They made their way to the Sailor V game and began playing while they waited for Mamoru and Kunzite. She knew she had to get her homework done and do some studying, but she was much more excited about what was hidden in her satchel. She had jumped up and down in excitement when the teacher handed back her graded math test, and now she waited impatiently to show him her grade.

"So, what do you think of Kunzite?" Usagi asked, smiling at her new friend.

"He's…" Minako seemed at a loss for words and stopped speaking.

"I saw the sparks," Usagi continued. "I think if he could have managed it he would have stood there and stared at you all day long," she added with a giggle.

"Hmm," Minako said noncommittally. "What do you know about him?" she asked.

"Not too much," Usagi told her. "Mamoru and I helped him recently. He's an orphan, like my Mamo-chan, and doesn't really have a lot of friends yet. He's been through a terrible ordeal though, and we want to help him."

"Oh," Minako frowned, "I hope whatever it is, he's doing better."

"Well, I've made sure it won't happen again, and when he's ready Mamoru and I are there to listen. It's all we really can do for now. He's staying with Mamoru though, so hopefully that will help."

Minako only nodded. She turned her attention back to the game. For several minutes they played and focused on the pixelated monsters. Usagi wished they were that easy to defeat in real life. She wondered what Minako was thinking about. The other girl's brows were furrowed as though she was deep in thought.

It wasn't long before Motoki rushed in, just ahead of Mamoru and Kunzite. He hurried to the kitchen to gather his apron while the other two spotted the girls and waved. They let their game end and moved to the booth closest to the counter. Usagi was excited to see how Minako interacted with Kunzite now that she knew a little about him.

Mamoru pulled her in for a kiss and slid onto the bench seat, sliding over so she could sit beside him. Kunzite sat across from Mamoru and Minako slid in next to him. She was blushing slightly and Usagi wanted to jump for joy. It was absolutely clear they liked one another.

"How was your first day of school?" she asked.

"It was okay," Kunzite said. "I didn't realize just how far behind I was though. It's sort of bad. They gave me a test and said I could go to classes with Mamoru or I could take tenth grade classes instead. I decided to stick with Mamoru. I used to get pretty good grades."

Usagi nodded, waiting for the question she knew Mamoru would soon be asking.

"How did you do on your test?" he asked.

She had made Minako swear not to give her away. Usagi put on a dejected look and pretended she didn't want to show him the paper she pulled from her satchel. He took it, giving her a sympathetic look, and opened the test.

Usagi heard the intake of breath and had to cover her ears when he let out a whoop. It was so unlike him that she pinched herself to make sure it wasn't a dream.

"Motoki!" Mamoru shouted.

The blonde haired server hurried to their table. "What is it?" he asked, grinning.

"Look!" Mamoru shoved the paper at him and Motoki's jaw dropped. "One-hundred and eight percent!" He pulled Usagi out of the booth and hugged her hard. "That's incredible! I knew you could do it!"

Usagi grinned up at him. "It's all thanks to my Mamoru-baka," she said in a stage whisper. "He bribes me with chocolate," she explained, and laughed.

Mamoru pulled her back onto the seat and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "My girl," he said proudly and kissed her cheek.

There was a clatter and the sound of breaking glass and Usagi looked over to see Rei, Makoto, and Ami standing near them. Shattered glass and soda coated the floor at Rei's feet and she let out an angry growl, glaring at Usagi.

It felt as though lead had filled her stomach. She saw Rei's fingers twitching and a little spark from each hand as the priestess tried to get her temper under control. Rei growled again and stared hard at Usagi. She didn't know what the other girl was thinking, but whatever it was, it wasn't nice.

Usagi met her stare for stare. She hadn't done anything wrong. She had met and liked Mamoru first, and Rei knew that before she'd even approached the older teen and been rejected. Guilt still filled her however, at the hurt look Rei gave her. She hadn't meant to upset her friend, but she was in love with Mamoru and had no plans to give him up. Not to spare Rei's feelings, or for any other reason. No words were spoken between them. Rei turned on her heel and marched out of the Crown, the other two looking back and forth between her and Usagi before scurrying after her. Usagi rubbed at her face with both hands.

"That is not how I planned for her to find out," she said finally.

"What's her problem?" Motoki asked, sounding confused. "She's been awful to you for a long time Usagi."

She sighed, unsure how to explain. She looked over at Mamoru, who shrugged. "I don't know," she admitted. "Part of it is that she liked Mamoru, but she already knew I liked him by then, even though I'd never told him." She sighed again, feeling like a cloud had covered her happy moment. "The rest… I don't know."

Mamoru shifted in his spot and hugged her. "It's not your fault, whatever it is," he reminded her. "We've talked about this. You didn't deserve the way they treated you."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
After studying and homework, Usagi had gone home for dinner. Her mother danced around the house with the test clutched to her chest, and within moments it was being put into a scrapbook with all sorts of gold ribbon around it. Her father picked her up and hugged her, then gave her a handful of yen in celebration. Even Shingo made a huge deal about it, giving her a real hug and the bigger piece of pie for dessert. 

When dinner was done she went back out to train with Mamoru and Kunzite. They wanted to make sure the three of them could work as a team before they had to face an attack by the Negaverse. She was happy again, and smiling by the time they reached their training spot. 

Before anything else, Luna ran North Knight through his abilities, trying to discover what would work best and what attacks she should have them practice. He had some rather unique abilities. He could absorb the energy from any attack thrown at him and throw it back if necessary, could use light energy to fight, and to an extent, to heal, and also used a sword. As he was now, he was already powerful. He could create a dome, for protection or to capture someone, and had the power of hypnotic suggestion.

They trained for several hours, working on verbal and non-verbal signals, moving together as a team, and shoring up each other's weaknesses. Luna gave them several types of attacks and they practiced how they would take down a Youma or capture one of the other Dark Generals. They seemed to flow together as though it wasn't new and they had fought side by side before. It was a nice feeling. 

Tuxedo Kamen then threw blunted roses for both North Knight and Sailor Moon to practice dodging. She was gratified when only two hit her, and felt proud of her work. Only three hit North Knight and they both thought it was a great first try.

When they had finished running through a third simulated drill from Luna, the three of them let their transformations go and took a rest.

"You should both be able to teleport," Kunzite said, sitting in the grass. "All the Senshi should be able to do it, though it takes time to learn it."

"How does it work?" Mamoru asked.

"First, you have to be focused on where you want to go. It helps to know the location, but if you are specific, you can manage without that, though I wouldn't try it at first. Second, you have to be certain in your mind that it is where you want to be. Finally, you have to account for obstacles. Sometimes people or things are where you want to go, so when you teleport you have to fix it in your mind that you want to land where you, or someone else, won't be harmed."

Usagi listened carefully. She wasn't sure she would be any good at it, but she wanted to try. Kunzite said it wasn't the right time for that, so she held back.

Luna was more focused on what she could glean from Kunzite's knowledge of the Negaverse. "What should we expect?" she asked.

"The three others are Jadeite, Zoicite, and Nephrite," he explained. "There are a few other generals, but they aren't sent out as much, and one of them has never been seen by us. Queen Beryl gives the orders, but she gets them from someone called Metalia."

Something stirred in Usagi's mind at the name of the queen, but it faded before she could think too much about it. Mamoru was frowning and she wondered if he had felt the same strangeness upon hearing the name.

"The goal is to gather enough energy to wake Metalia," Kunzite continued. "Only fragments of the energy get to her however, because when the Youma is destroyed, the transfer stops and the energy returns to the host."

"So is a Youma like a conduit or a battery?" Luna asked. Usagi was confused. She didn't understand the reference.

"Battery. Once the energy is gathered, it has to be passed on. They can do that from a distance, but if they are destroyed before it passes on, the energy is lost and can't be used to wake her."

"Then our goal should be to destroy the Youma first," Mamoru said.

"Not necessarily. A general can release several Youma. They might see you destroy the first one and release two or three more. That is one of Jadeite's plans actually."

Usagi shivered. That was not good news. She worried what would happen during the next attack.

"Jadeite is a master of disguise. He can blend in almost anywhere, and his attacks tend to reflect that. Zoicite is a brilliant tactician, and is incredibly smart. Nephrite is slightly superstitious and bases much of his work on astrology. He is rarely wrong however, and his attacks tend to go perfectly when he sets them."

Feeling worried, Usagi sat and listened as Kunzite elaborated on the details of the Negaverse, what it looked like, and what Youma there were. The night seemed more cold with the thought of hundreds of Youma remaining to be fought. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Shingo stopped her in the hallway outside her room.

"Can we talk?" he asked.

Usagi nodded and opened her door, waving him inside.

"Mom and dad are gone," Shingo started. "They left to pick up Haruki an hour ago. Our uncle passed away," he said, and sorrow filled his tone. Usagi hugged him tightly, a few tears escaping.

"How was Haruki? Did you talk to him?"

"Devastated. They won't be back until Saturday morning, and I hope he's okay by then, but dad asked if we could finish up with the room. There is so much junk in there and we have to bring it up to the attic."

"Maybe I can get a few friends to help," Usagi said. "Are you okay?"

Shingo nodded, though he looked incredibly sad. He changed the subject. "How did training go tonight?" he asked.

Usagi told him everything that happened, and they sat up talking for about an hour before Shingo went into his room after a last hug. She hoped he was okay. Neither of them had been close with their uncle who had moved Haruki around ever since their aunt died, going from place to place for work. That didn't mean it was easy to say goodbye.

It had to be much worse for her cousin, and Usagi was determined to make the transition as easy as possible. She lifted her communicator and pressed the button with the Earth symbol. After relaying the news to Mamoru she asked him for help. He immediately agreed and suggested asking Kunzite and Motoki as well.

Usagi nodded and after they ended their conversation, she picked up the phone to call Naru and Minako. One way or another she wanted to get the task finished, but more than that, she thought any excuse to get Minako and Kunzite together was a good one. She'd seen the way they couldn't stop staring at one another. It brought a smile to her face.

Once the calls ended, Usagi showered, braided her hair, and climbed into bed. Luna returned from her trip to the Command Center and she snuggled up with her friend and advisor and fell asleep.


	8. Protection

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Friday  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After school Minako, Naru, and Umino followed Usagi to the Crown where they planned to meet the others. They were all rather quiet. Usagi was lost in her own thoughts, worried about her cousin. Her parents had called to check on her and Shingo that morning, and her mother said Haruki hadn't stopped crying, or slept.

She felt bad. Her cousin was never sad. He was always filled with laughter and joy, but now he was obviously hurting and she wanted to do something to show him he wasn't alone, that he still had a family and they would always be there for him. She hoped Mamoru could help him. She wasn't sure what else to do.

Once in the arcade it wasn't long before the others arrived. Again Usagi watched as Minako and Kunzite appeared to be drawn to one another. She met Mamoru's eyes and nodded toward them. He sent her a conspiratorial wink and then smirked when Kunzite bumped into a chair as he tried to say hello to Minako.

Usagi hid a giggle. They really were cute together.

Mamoru pulled her closer and met her lips with his own. He always tasted like coffee and sometimes of chocolate as well. He lingered, sucking her bottom lip between his own for just a moment, and Usagi felt dizzy before he pulled his face away. She grinned up at him for a moment, her brain no longer working properly and just leaned against him.

"When does Shingo get out of school?" Motoki asked, bringing her back to the world.

"He should be out now. We can meet up with him on the way."

They headed out, enjoying the spring air. It was beautiful. Usagi knew the first sakura blossoms would soon begin falling and wondered what the festivals would be like. The group was loud and chattering. Naru and Umino were rather hilarious. The boy didn't always think before he spoke and occasionally Naru would smack him with a rolled up newspaper she pulled from seemingly nowhere. It kept Usagi and Minako in a constant state of giggles.

Feeling Mamoru's warm hand wrapped around her own made Usagi's heart flutter. She'd never dated before, but she imagined he was probably one of the better boyfriends if he acted so loving already. He seemed as drawn to her as she was to him. Just touching his hand made her feel special and adored.

When they reached Shingo's school her brother stared in awe. "That's a lot of help," he said, looking at the group.

Usagi turned to look at her friends. While she missed the other girls, she realized she wasn't lonely. She still had friends who cared about her and were willing to help. That made her happy. She was grateful she had them.

Once they reached the house they divided into teams. Shingo led the way to the attic and Kunzite, Motoki, and Mamoru followed him. Usagi could hear the sound of things being dragged around as she led the others into the guest bedroom, which had become a catch-all for projects her mother hadn't started, bags of old clothing for charity, and things the rest of them had put away for the spring and summer months.

They bagged and boxed things and some were taken to the genkan and placed next to the shoe bin to be brought to charity when the others left, while the rest was dragged to the attic door to be stored. Usagi grabbed the linens from the bed and began a load of laundry. She wasn't sure how much her cousin was bringing with him, but she imagined no one would want the task of changing the sheets when Haruki and her parents arrived.

All of them talked as they worked, and with Naru ordering Umino around, much was accomplished. They finished taking everything out of the room and all of them moved to the bottom of the attic steps. They made an assembly line to hand things to the others at the top of the stairs, making the job go quickly and easily.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
They had been working for nearly two hours when the Moon Computer signaled that there was a Youma. Usagi grasped at the first excuse she could think of.

"We've got to go pick up something to eat," she said, giving Mamoru a look that told him to play along.

"I think pizza," he said, hurrying down the attic stairs.

Minako gave Usagi a strange look. "You're leaving?" she asked.

"Just for a minute. We'll be right back," she promised. "What do you like on your pizza?"

"Sausage," Minako said, grinning.

Usagi nodded and rushed down after Mamoru. Kunzite followed a moment later, claiming he was going to make sure they didn't spend the whole time making out. The others all laughed. Leaving Shingo with Minako, Naru, Umino, and Motoki, the three heroes slipped out of the house. 

Usagi multitasked as she ran, ordering food the three of them could pick up on their way back. They made it to the shopping district and found a Youma outside a children's toy store. It was made entirely of toys and was throwing them at passing people. Teddy bears and trains, dolls and toy guns, and toys of every variety filled the air. Another one geared toward children. It was frustrating.

The three of them henshined behind a building and then leapt to the roof to get into better positions. Sailor Moon pulled out the Moon computer and ran a scan on the creature while Tuxedo Kamen wrapped it in vines. North Knight hit it with a burst of energy, knocking it backwards.

"There is a tiny spot on the forehead," she informed the others. "Aim your attacks there."

She watched as several roses flew while she charged her tiara and let it fly. All of the projectiles missed and she felt full of frustration. The Youma saw them and jumped to the roof, standing in front of them and releasing dozens of tiny plastic blocks. They all dodged, but Sailor Moon was hit from behind by a strange shadow and knocked into the path of the Youma.

She let out a cry of fear and then heard an explosion of sound. "Tuxedo la Smoking Bomber!" There was a thick grey smoke and she felt herself gathered up into familiar arms. "Nephrite threw his shadow at you," he explained.

Sailor Moon nodded, then turned her attention on the Dark General, pulling her Moon Wand. "Moon Healing Escalation!" she screamed. Nephrite clutched at his chest for a short moment, but quickly disappeared into a portal. The Youma, which had been close to him, disintegrated. Stunned, she stared at the pile of dust. She hadn't known the Moon Wand could destroy the Youma. She had only ever used it for healing.

North Knight hurried to check them both over, but Sailor Moon was too excited about Tuxedo Kamen's new attack to be worried about any injuries. "I told you that you could do it!" she said happily.

He nodded. "We have to get the pizza," he reminded her, grinning widely.

They dropped down from the roof and the three of them released their transformations.

"That was awesome," Usagi said, grinning up at Mamoru.

"It was rather impressive. Is that what you've been feeling?" Kunzite asked as they left the alley and made their way toward the pedestrians, none of whom seemed injured. He sent the all clear signal to the police and first responders as they walked through the crowd.

"I think so," Mamoru said quietly.

They passed several children who were crying and Usagi bent and gave them each lollipops she pulled from her subspace pocket. She found children tended to cry less when they had something nice given with a smile. She nodded to their parents and ruffled the hair on one of the boys, who appeared to be about four, before the three of them continued.

"How many pizzas did you order?" Kunzite asked. "I'm starving."

"Six," Usagi said, smiling. Kunzite raised his eyebrows and Usagi giggled. "I could eat an entire pizza on my own on a normal day," she explained.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
After a break to eat, the group finished the task of cleaning and organizing. Usagi had swept out the bedroom and wiped down then polished the dresser and night stand. Mamoru had fixed the leg on a desk he found in the attic and the guys had brought it down to the bedroom.

After the job was done, Usagi made coffee and hot chocolate for everyone. It was the least she could do after all their help. In less than four hours the room had been emptied out, and cleaned, and the attic had been organized so that even with many more boxes it was not as cluttered as it had been. She snuck away to her room for a long moment. She hadn't discussed her newest plan with Luna or Mamoru, but hoped they approved.

Once she was hidden, Usagi locked her door and whispered her transformation. Pulling her Moon Wand from her subspace pocket, she held it in front of her and whispered her wish. 'Please protect Motoki, Naru, and Minako from being turned by the Negaverse. Please protect them from their sight and keep their homes safe. Please don't let anyone from the Dark Kingdome hurt them.'

As soon as the glow had faded, she released her henshin and made her way back downstairs.

"I'll take the bags to the shelter on my way home," Motoki offered when he saw her.

Usagi glanced out toward the genkan and frowned. There were four bags. He couldn't carry those all by himself.

"We can help," Mamoru said. He nodded to Kunzite who agreed quickly.

Usagi thanked everyone and they all started leaving. Mamoru pulled her in for a sweet kiss and she smiled up at him, wishing she had more time to spend with him.

"Training tomorrow?" he asked.

"I don't know. I'm not sure how things will go when they get here. My mom may insist that we both stay with him. I might have to have Shingo cover for me if there is a Youma."

"If it's too difficult to get out, Kunzite and I can handle it, but I do hope we can get some training done. I want to practice my attack."

"Okay. If we can't do it at the normal time, we can just practice in the middle of the night. I also want to get out and protect the other girls from being turned. I'll let you know as soon as I figure it out."

"Bye Usako," he said, and kissed her again.

"Bye Mamo-chan," she returned.

She turned away as soon as the door closed, looking over at Shingo. She wasn't sure what other steps they could take.

"Is Minako sick or something?" Shingo asked.

Usagi shook her head. "I don't think so. She seems pretty healthy to me. Why?"

"She was in the bathroom most of the time you were gone," Shingo answered, frowning. "I asked Naru to check on her, but she said girls can be private about some things and we should give her space."

"Probably a good idea," Usagi explained. "Girls go through some things boys don't. If it was that time for her, she might have been worried about being embarrassed."

"Oh. Okay," Shingo said, looking a bit confused.

Usagi giggled, but didn't explain. He was young enough he would find the whole thing disgusting and would probably avoid Minako if he saw her for a few days. She wasn't sure how to explain about periods anyways. It was a highly embarrassing subject for her. She'd thought she was dying when she had her first one.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Saturday  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Usagi and Shingo moved quietly around the kitchen the next morning. She wasn't sure what, if anything, she should try to prepare for breakfast. Did someone who lost their father want to eat? She sighed, feeling very unsure about her next move.

"Should we try to cook?" Usagi asked, checking the time.

Shingo shook his head. "Neither of us are very good at it. We could poison everyone."

Usagi giggled. "We aren't that bad, but I get your point. What should we do then?"

"Maybe make some tea and coffee and slice up some fruit?"

"That's a great idea," Usagi admitted. "While we're at it, we should make ourselves some hot chocolate. It always makes me feel better."

"Haruki drinks coffee now right?" Shingo asked.

"Almost as bad as Mamoru," Usagi said conspiratorially.

They worked quickly to prepare everything. Usagi kept her eye on the clock as she sliced bananas and peeled oranges. Their parents and Haruki would be there any moment, and she wanted everything ready.

The sound of the car pulling into the driveway caught their attention and Shingo and Usagi both turned from their tasks, then stared at one another, neither entirely certain how to act. The door opened a moment later and quiet murmuring filtered into the room. 

Usagi moved out into the living room and rushed to give Haruki a hug. It was the only thing she could think to do. She noticed his red-rimmed eyes, his downcast look, and the way his shoulders were slumped before she hit him head on and held tight. Haruki's arms came around her and he lowered his head to her shoulder and wept.

"It's okay to cry Haruki," she murmured. "It's okay to be sad."

He nodded into her shoulder and kept hugging her for a long time. Usagi felt her knees start to ache and her calves burn under the pressure of keeping him upright, but there was nothing that could induce her to let him go until he was ready to stand on his own two feet.

After nearly twenty minutes, Haruki lifted his head and looked around the room. Shingo was beside them. Usagi hadn't even seen him approach but his hand was on Haruki's shoulder, rubbing slightly back and forth. Neither of them could fully understand what Haruki was going through, but they could commiserate with him, and be there for him.

"We made coffee and sliced up some fruit for breakfast," Usagi told her cousin. "Do you want to eat?"

Haruki nodded and the two of them guided him into the kitchen. Their parents were already at the table. Her father held a cup of coffee, their mother a cup of tea. Ikuko dashed up to get coffee for Haruki and to prepare the hot chocolate for Shingo and Usagi, who had left their preparations half-done.

Usagi hugged both of her parents and then sat next to Haruki at the table. She wasn't sure exactly what to say, so she went on instinct. "Do you want to talk or would you rather be quiet for a little while?" she asked.

"I'm not really ready to talk about him, but we could talk about other things," Haruki said with a grateful look.

Usagi nodded. "Then maybe I should inform you that I got a one hundred and eight percent on a math test," she said, still feeling proud.

Haruki's eyes widened. "Wow. I thought you hated math."

Usagi giggled. "I still do. But I decided I was going to get better and Mamoru really helped me."

"Mamoru is the really smart one right?"

Usagi nodded. "He's smart, and Motoki is funny. Oh, and I have a few new friends. Minako. She's a bit like me, and not just in looks. And then Kunzite who is a bit like Mamoru, though he seems more stern. And Naru and Umino were asking about you. Naru asked me to give you a hug for her and to tell you that she has a water balloon with your name on it."

Haruki gave a small smile. Usagi remembered the incident well. She and Naru had been walking into the house when Shingo and Haruki had pelted them both with water balloons from the balcony. They had vowed to get their revenge.

"What's new in the prank war?" Haruki asked.

"Shingo got me with salt on strawberries last. Before that I had a failed attempt to glue him to his chair. Mom stopped me, or he would have gotten it good."

Ikuko snorted. "And you would have been responsible to buy him new pants for school and for cleaning the mess young lady."

Haruki's eyes twinkled and Usagi realized he had a good prank up his sleeve. She couldn't wait to get it out of him.

"I'm going to be creating a new fuel injection system," Shingo told them. "I could use some help," he added.

Haruki nodded. "Honestly though, what I really need is some sleep," he admitted. "I haven't had much the last few nights."

"We got your room fixed up. Is there anything you need out of the car before you lay down?" Shingo asked.

Haruki shook his head. "The truck with my stuff and my car won't be here until tomorrow. I just have the bag Uncle Kenji brought in for me for today."

"Well, you go on up and lay down," Usagi's mother stood to help Haruki up.

He nodded and gave all of them hugs.

"Thanks Usa," he whispered, hugging Usagi tightly.

"Love you Ruki," she returned.

"Love you too."

After Haruki went up the stairs Usagi slumped and rubbed her fists against her eyes, trying to hold back her own tears. "I was wondering if I could go out for a little while so he can sleep," Usagi said. "I have a few things I want to get done, but I want to be here for him when he wakes up."

Her parents nodded but both warned her to be careful.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Usagi made her way up the long flight of steps to the Hikawah Jinja, praying that all three girls were there, and that she wouldn't be turned away before she could speak. She had decided they would be her first stop because it was important that she gave them protection as she had for Mamoru and Kunzite. She couldn't take the chance that something happened to them.

As soon as she reached the top of the stairs, Grandfather Hino rushed over to hug her, and flirt a bit, since he couldn't seem to help himself. It made Usagi smile. She asked where Rei and the girls were and was pointed to the family wing and the room where they had always held their meetings.

Knocking on the doorframe, she waited. The rice paper door slid open and Makoto stood on the other side, looking very surprised to see her. A moment later Usagi was standing in front of all three girls.

"What are you doing here?" Rei snarled. "We don't want you back!"

Usagi lifted her chin. "I've come to talk to you."

"I don't want to talk!" Rei shouted. "You broke the code!"

"What code?" Usagi asked.

"The girl code. You went after a guy that turned me down."

Usagi let out a growl. "First. That's not a thing. Second, you knew I loved him before you ever asked. So if anyone broke the code, it was you. Third, I didn't make the move. He did."

Rei looked like she wanted to slap Usagi. She wasn't going to back down though. Not this time.

"I love him. I'm in love with him. And I have been for a long time. I'm not giving him up. He's mine."

Rei frowned, but after a moment, nodded, accepting it almost meekly.

"What do you want?" she asked.

"To let you know what's going on."

"What happened?" Makoto asked.

"We saved Kunzite. A couple days ago. I was going to come and talk to you sooner, but my uncle just died and my cousin has moved in with us. I didn't have time."

"We saw it on the news. What exactly happened to Kunzite. I thought they were evil, so how did you save him?" Ami asked.

"They took the four Dark Generals from an orphanage and turned them evil using these glass coffin-chamber things. It was a horrible thing and caused him constant pain. We have to save the others as well. We're working on Nephrite now."

"Is that it?" Rei asked.

Usagi wanted to scream. Apparently the priestess wasn't in the mood to listen. "We struck a major blow to the Dark Kingdom," Usagi explained. "They might retaliate. If they do, it could be very bad. I'm worried that people could get hurt. I'm also concerned they might try to do to one of us what they did to Kunzite."

"So what exactly do you want from us?" Rei asked, looking annoyed.

"Two things," Usagi said. "One, I want to give you the same form of protection that I used for myself, North Knight and Tuxedo Kamen."

"How does it work?" Ami asked, sounding extremely curious.

"I'm not exactly sure, but if you want you can scan it when it happens. I just use the Moon Wand. That reminds me. Did you know the Moon Wand can be used to destroy Youma? I had no idea until the battle yesterday. Luna said she didn't know either."

Ami and the others all shook their heads.

"And the second part?" Makoto asked.

"I was hoping we could divide into two teams. I know you are all struggling with me, but you seem to work well together. I can continue to work with North and Kamen while the three of you team up. That way if there are multiple Youma released, everyone will be safe."

"Give us a minute?" Ami asked.

Usagi nodded and walked over to sit on one of the cushions while the others left the room. She went over the conversation they'd all had, and Usagi wondered if there was any hope to fix things between herself and Rei since she and Mamoru were together. Though, she wasn't sure if that was the real problem. Rei had seemed to accept it when Usagi said she wasn't going to give him up for her. Nothing made sense when it came to Rei.

The others returned a few minutes later. "We agree to both the protection and working as a second team. That means we need to have our communicators linked to yours again," Ami said.

"I'll have Luna handle it," Usagi promised.

"Whenever you're ready," Ami said.

Usagi touched the brooch on her chest. "Moon Prism Power, Make Up," she whispered. She reached into her subspace pocket and pulled out the wand.

Sailor Moon held the Moon Wand tightly in her hand. 'Please,' she wished, 'please protect Rei, Makoto, and Ami from being turned by the Negaverse. Please make it so that there is no way they can be turned against us, or each other.'

Silver light flowed from the wand and filled the room. It surrounded the three girls and sank into them.

"Are you done?" Rei asked, her face still puckered in a frown.

"I am," Sailor Moon said. She released her henshin.

"You and I still have a problem," Rei said, her voice full of venom. "This. Working together… It doesn't erase it. I don't like even working with you, but I will do what I have to because I'm not a lazy no account."

"Well since you never bothered to tell me what you're really mad about, it won't get solved, will it?" Usagi asked, frustrated and hurt. "You pick and pick at problems I've already corrected and never bother to tell me what you really want. I can't fix it if I don't know what it is."

"Maybe you should try figuring it out."

"I'm not a mind reader!" Usagi shouted, angrily.

"No. You're just gullible, helpless, pathetic, useless Usagi," Rei spat.

The words hit her like slaps. Tears stung at her eyes and she turned away and left the room, stopping only to grab her shoes and slip out of the house slippers. She moved outside, put her shoes on, and began running as fast as she could. She made it down the steps in record time, nearly stumbling as she transitioned to even ground at the bottom. She caught herself and kept going.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Several minutes later Usagi slammed face first into a human wall. She didn't have to look to know who it was. Mamoru's arms went around her and he lifted her off her feet, holding her close.

"What's wrong?" he asked, murmuring into her ear as he settled onto one of the benches in the park. "What happened?"

It took a long time for Usagi to calm herself enough to tell Mamoru what had happened, and what Rei had said. She told him all of it, as best she could remember, not sparing a single detail.

"Usako," he whispered. "None of that is true. You aren't useless," he added angrily. "It's awful of her to have said something like that. Just awful."

She nodded, though the words still stung no matter how much Mamoru believed in her. If she was honest with herself she had never had the highest self-esteem, and this was a blow to her already fragile view of herself.

"Why does she hate me?" she asked, worried that she sounded like a whiny child instead of a nearly grown woman.

"I don't think she does. I think she is angry and lashing out at you, but I don't know why. Hate is a very strong word though."

Usagi nodded, though she secretly believed Rei did actually hate her. She snuggled closer to him, happy to be in his arms, in spite of several looks they received from older couples walking past.

"My cousin arrived this morning," Usagi told him.

"How was he?"

"He cried a bit, but I'm sure that's expected. I didn't know what to do so I just hugged him."

Mamoru shrugged. "Everyone is different I think. I don't really remember my parents, so I struggled for a long time about that. Other kids in the orphanage didn't want to talk about their folks at all. Some wanted to talk about them constantly. It depends on the person."

"I asked him what he wanted. Whether he wanted to talk or wait, and he said it hurt too much to talk about his dad, but wanted us to talk about normal things."

Mamoru rested his chin on top of her head. "He'll be okay I think. If he's able to tell you what he needs, it means he can handle it in steps and stages. Just be there for him. If you need me to come and talk to him I can. And Kunzite too. Even Makoto, I'm sure."

Usagi frowned, wishing she had more time to talk to Makoto and Ami. Neither had said very much that morning, but she was still hopeful that their friendships could be repaired.

"So, where else were you going this morning?" Mamoru asked.

"I was planning to come see you and check on Kunzite. Has he talked yet?"

Mamoru shook his head. "I don't think he will unless you're there. You seem to have a calming influence on him." He frowned. "He's actually out though. He wanted to go see Minako."

Usagi grinned widely. "That's awesome!" she squealed. "Those two are perfect for each other."

"They are. Come on. I'm going to take you for a shake and then walk you home. I'm sure you want to be there for your cousin."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Usagi sat on the couch, Mamoru on one side of her, Haruki on the other. The two males had stared at one another for several minutes, each sizing the other up, before they had started talking as though they had been friends for years. Neither mentioned being orphans, but something told Usagi Haruki knew. Whether he had guessed, or her parents had told him, she wasn't sure. All she knew was that they seemed to understand one another.

They'd been at her house for almost three hours before Haruki had woken up. He still looked a bit rough, but he seemed to be in better spirits. 

Shingo was sitting on one of the cushions around the low table. She met his eyes and they both looked back at Haruki. He seemed to be doing alright, but she could tell her brother was as worried as she was. She just wanted her cousin to be okay.

"Mamoru-kun" her mother said, coming out of the kitchen. "Are you staying for dinner?"

"I have to find out what Kunzite is doing first, if you don't mind. He went through something pretty awful and I don't want to leave him alone if he doesn't have to be."

Shingo was nodding and Usagi had to agree.

"Call him and let me know. He's more than welcome to join us."

Mamoru left the room and Usagi knew he was going to use the communicator to reach the newest of the heroes. She turned to Haruki. "What do you think?" she asked.

"I think he's cool," he said quietly.

"Me too," Shingo seconded. "He's been really awesome, helping Usagi and just being there for her since everything went down with her other friends."

"What happened?"

Usagi was about to answer when Shingo continued. "They were picking on her for everything. The way she laughs, the way she eats. Her homework. Everything. It was like she couldn't do anything right and it got worse and worse until I wanted to do something about it myself."

She stared at her brother in shock. She'd never known he felt that way. He had only really mentioned it when he'd made it clear he thought she should quit the group. "Shingo?" she asked.

"Sorry Usagi, but if you ask me, you should have told them off a long time before you walked away. That's just my opinion. I might be your little brother, but I hate seeing you hurting like that. You're so much happier now."

She smiled and moved to hug him. "Thanks Shin," she whispered.


	9. Who Wants to Live Forever

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Okay… confession time. I listen to a very eclectic mix of music when I write. I have so many songs in my playlist sometimes I go months without hearing one. Well, this morning I was listening to an old favorite by Queen, called Who Wants To Live Forever. Well, I found a new version of the song by Breaking Benjamin, and it was good, though I think I love the original more… Anyways, I was inspired by part of this chapter to use that for my title here. I think it fits.
> 
> Acknowledgements: I want to thank Astraearose for her help on this chapter. I was having a difficult time deciding how I wanted one of the scenes to go and she was amazing, as always. I am so blessed to have such a wonderful friend and beta!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Saturday  
(continued)  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Usagi sat between Haruki and Mamoru. Her boyfriend was in the midst of a debate over traffic laws with her father, but under the table his hand was clasped tightly around her own. Haruki was rather quiet, his face still drawn and tired. Across from them Shingo and Kunzite sat on either side of Minako.

She grinned at her friend. Once Usagi's mother had learned that Minako's parents weren't in Japan and that she was planning on buying fast food for supper, Ikuko had put her foot down and ordered the blonde to appear for dinner. They'd snickered over it, talking about how Usagi's mother treated her like a long lost sister. They'd both been put to work in the kitchen where Ikuko insisted they each learn a little about cooking.

Usagi was rather observant when she wanted to be, and at the moment, her attention was laser focused on Minako and Kunzite, who were also holding hands. Minako had confessed that Kunzite asked to date her, and she'd agreed. She winked at her friend, and wiggled her eyebrows. Mina tried to hide her giggle with a fake cough.

Her mother looked over and smiled at both of them. She sent a wink to the girls and then looked at where Kenji and Mamoru were still discussing the laws.

Usagi giggled. She felt Mamoru squeeze her hand and returned the gesture. She looked around the table again. Kunzite was focused almost completely on Minako. Shingo and Haruki seemed to be having a silent discussion, and her mother was quietly observing everything, as she was herself.

As the meal ended, the guys stood to clear the dishes since the girls had cooked. She smiled at her mother. "I'm always so happy around him," she confessed.

"That's the way it should be. Though at times he will confuse you, make you mad, or drive you nearly insane," she added.

Minako and Usagi both giggled.

"So how did your talk with the other girls go?" Ikuko asked.

"Not well," Usagi admitted. "I mean, Makoto and Ami seemed okay about seeing me, but Rei was really mad. I don't understand why she's so angry. She was mad even before Mamoru asked me out and I don't get it."

Her mother frowned. "I'm sure there is a lot going on in her head, Usagi-chan, but the thing that stands out most to me is that she's jealous."

"Jealous?" Usagi asked, confused. "Why would she be jealous of me? She's gorgeous, smart, wise, and interesting."

"Look around the room Usagi."

She did as she was told. She could see into the kitchen where her father and the guys were cleaning up the dinner mess. Her mother and Minako were still sitting at the table. The room was nicely decorated and there were still cups on the table.

What she noticed most however, was the loving look her mother was giving her. It dawned on her what Rei might be jealous of. Ami's mother was always at work. Makoto was an orphan. And Rei's mother had died in childbirth when she was young. Her father hadn't taken it well and had dropped Rei off at the Jinja with her grandfather before disappearing for nearly a year before resuming his former life without his daughter.

"Oh."

"Exactly. You have a lot to be thankful for Usagi."

"I didn't realize she would be jealous. I should have."

"Don't do that to yourself Usagi-chan," her mother demanded. "You didn't know because she didn't explain. And being jealous over something you have no control about gives her no right to treat you so horribly that Shingo came to me and begged me to ban you from seeing her."

"He did?" Usagi asked, shocked. She had a lot to think about.

"Almost three months ago," Ikuko confirmed. "He was upset because you were crying all the time."

"He said he thinks I should have stood up to them," Usagi said. "But I was afraid to say something that would break us apart."

"I think the break needed to happen. Sometimes it is just what needs to happen to make people take notice. I will say this though Usagi. Rei will never respect you until you stand up to her. I don't mean you have to be rude. I mean you need to tell her exactly what you are thinking and why you feel a certain way."

Minako was nodding. "I had a problem like that right after my folks moved us to England. A girl at school thought I was making fun of her. It was really that Japanese was my first language and I didn't understand the culture, but she didn't bother to ask. Before I finally talked to her about it all the girls at school were ignoring me."

"Exactly my point," Usagi's mother leaned closer. "If the words aren't spoken, then the problem can't be solved. You have to tell her how you feel and listen to how she really feels. I think she could have been your best friend even though you're so different if either of you had just said what you meant from the beginning."

Usagi nodded. She wasn't sure how she was going to do it, or how long she would have to wait to let her own temper and Rei's cool, but she was determined to get the words out, even if they hurt.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
She had just gotten out of the shower when she heard raised voices.

"Explain it!" Ikuko shouted.

"You wouldn't understand!" Kenji returned.

Usagi snuck down the stairs, unsure what was going on. Her parents never fought. She didn't understand why they would now. It made her nervous. When she reached the bottom step she spied Haruki and Shingo hiding on either side of the kitchen door. She made her way to them.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"Mom is upset because of something dad has to do for work, I think," Shingo said, sounding worried.

"You had better explain it now Tsukino Kenji or I will tie you to the bed and you won't go anywhere!"

'It isn't that dangerous," Kenji argued. "It's just a small undercover assignment. And I might get fired if I don't."

"Where?"

Heavy silence filled the air like a suffocating cloud.

"Where?" her mother repeated, sounding both angry and afraid.

"A factory," her father answered, but even Usagi could tell he was hedging.

"What factory?" her mother growled.

The answer was so quiet none of them could hear what he said.

"No!"

"Ikuko-chan," her father cajoled. "It won't be that dangerous."

"They are criminals. Everyone knows it. I won't let you do it. If you think for one second you're going to try I'll knock you so hard upside the head you won't remember your own name," her mother growled. There was a sound of pots and pans rattling and then her father was rushing out into the living room. Her mother came storming out after him, a frying pan held menacingly in her lifted hand. She noticed the kids, but instead of being angered by their presence, pointed to them. 

"You look at these kids Kenji. You look at them and you tell them what you think you're about to do! I won't lose you too!"

Then she broke down sobbing and Usagi knew her mother had won the argument. Not because of her words, but because the fear and pain were easily read on her face. Her father wrapped his arms around her mother and held her tight. The pan clattered to the floor, making Usagi and the others jump.

"You promised me forever," she said, and they could all see how desperate she was.

"I'm sorry. I won't do it," he promised.

"They're s-so dangerous," her mother sobbed, and Usagi wondered who the dangerous people were. There were gangs of course, though not in their immediate area, but she didn't think her father would be able to fit in with any of them. He looked too much like the nerd he was. His cover would be blown before it was made.

"Daddy?" she asked.

"Everything is fine kids. Go on upstairs."

Usagi nodded, but first moved to kiss both of her parents on their cheeks. She hurried up the stairs and into her bedroom, leaving the door open behind her. She knew Shingo would want to talk, and possibly Haruki as well.

"What do you think he was planning to do?" Shingo asked, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"I don't know," Haruki said. "Maybe he was going undercover with the Yakuza or something."

"He isn't police. It would be stupid for him to try anything like that," Shingo said. "I'd help mom tie him down if he tried."

"Me too," Haruki said.

"Me three," Usagi added, frowning. "I wouldn't go near them with a hundred Senshi," she said fervently. Her fuku wasn't bullet-proof after all. She could be killed by a bullet just as easily as anyone else.

"Have you seen the Senshi?" Haruki asked, curious.

Usagi blushed. "Yes," she whispered.

"Have you Shingo?"

Her brother nodded, not meeting Haruki's gaze.

Haruki stood and went to the bedroom door, closing it firmly before turning toward them again, leaning back against it. "Alright, that's the second time you've dodged answering questions about the Senshi. What are you hiding from me?" he asked.

Shock filled Usagi. He'd only been with them a day and he'd already guessed more than even her parents had. She looked at Shingo. He shrugged. It wasn't his secret to tell. It was hers. Biting her lip she contemplated her cousin for several minutes. If she didn't tell him, chances were he would just start following her around, and that could get him hurt.

"I'm one of them," she said after a long silence.

"I knew it!" Haruki said triumphantly. "I've only ever seen Sailor Pluto up close, but I watch the news. How many people have that hairstyle? Too obvious."

"It's fooled the Negaverse all this ti-" Usagi paused. "What do you mean you've seen Sailor Pluto?"

"She saved me a few months ago from a Youma attack in Kofu."

"In KOFU?!" Usagi exclaimed, shocked. "Why was there a Youma in Kofu?"

"I'm pretty sure it was there to kill me, or kidnap me," Haruki said, frowning. "It was this blue woman with snakes coming out all over her. She ignored everyone else and came straight for me, and then this beautiful Senshi with long green hair and reddish eyes was there and she destroyed it. She helped me up. I asked her what her name was and she said she was Sailor Pluto. I've watched for her ever since, but I haven't seen her on the news at all."

"I didn't even know there was a Sailor Pluto," Usagi said, feeling shocked. "Luna always said there were four Senshi."

"There are nine planets," Shingo said, frowning. "It stands to reason there must be a Senshi for each of them."

Usagi nodded. It did make sense, but she felt hopelessly lost. She needed to talk to the others, and soon.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Sunday  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Haruki wanted to go to the arcade. Usagi and Shingo latched onto the excuse to get out of the house, hurrying through their chores to avoid the tense silence. When they made it out to the sidewalk, all three of them gave audible sighs of relief. It had been torture to hear her mother sniffling occasionally.

Her father had been repentant, but obviously frustrated. He'd had a heated discussion with his boss, who threatened to fire him because he wouldn't take the assignment. Usagi had wanted to snatch the phone and scream at the man. This was her father he had been planning to send into danger. A danger so strong that her mother had broken down into tears.

Tsukino Ikuko… who had faced a Youma and hadn't cried.

Usagi tugged at her pigtails. "That was awful," she said, her voice halting and cracked from disuse. None of them had spoken much that morning.

"It was," Shingo agreed. "I've never seen mom cry like that. Not since…" he trailed off, and Usagi knew he was thinking of Akiko, their aunt. Haruki's mother had been her twin sister.

Usagi knew of another time her mother had cried uncontrollably. Only one other. Shingo was probably too young to remember what had happened when they lost their sister, but Usagi could remember it. She could remember the tears, and then the silence. The trips to the temples and the shrines, searching for any sort of comfort.

She shuddered. Losing a child had to be the most horrible thing in the world, though losing one's spouse was perhaps just as bad in it's own way. At least with children, you knew before they were born that one day they would leave you, grow up, marry, and have a life of their own. A spouse was supposed to be with you forever.

She bit her lip, thinking of Mamoru. If she lost him… Usagi shook her head. She refused to think like that. She wouldn't lose him. She couldn't. And yet… they had a dangerous occupation, and it didn't look like it would end any time soon.

Haruki's hand came down on her shoulder. "Mamoru will be fine Usagi," he said.

She looked up at him, startled. "Am I that obvious?"

"You're about to tear your lip in half," he said. "It was easy to think what might have caused that."

"Oh."

They walked in companionable silence. It was a beautiful day, but Usagi couldn't stop thinking about the dangerous task her father had intended to take on, and the work she and Mamoru and the others were doing. Again, she wondered if she should tell her parents, but she couldn't ignore the way her mother had reacted when she thought her father would be in danger.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Motoki's bright, cheerful face greeted them as they entered the Crown. "Usagi-chan!" he called, waving his arms emphatically.

She giggled as she tugged Haruki and Shingo towards the counter. "Hey Motoki-onii-san, this is my cousin, Kazuo Haruki. Haruki, this is Furuhata Motoki."

They both bowed. "Wow, you look a lot like Usagi and Shingo," Motoki commented.

"Our mothers were twins," Shingo explained. He leaned his arms on the counter and rested his chin against his closed fists.

"That explains it then," Motoki said. "Mamoru and Kunzite should be here soon, I think," he added. "I guess Kunzite tried to cook this morning. It did not go well. He called and asked me to have something ready for them."

Usagi laughed. Maybe her mother should drag him into the kitchen for a lesson. Thoughts of her mother stifled her laughter. She was worried. Her mother was a strong woman, but the idea of her father being sent into danger was enough to make an incredibly tough woman break down.

"Why the long faces?" Motoki sounded worried.

Shingo explained what they had overheard and how Ikuko had reacted.

"He wasn't made for undercover work," Usagi said. "Tailing someone maybe. Interviews definitely. But not getting involved with criminals."

"Who is getting involved with criminals?" a voice spoke in her ear and she felt Mamoru slip his hands around her waist.

"My dad's boss wanted him to go undercover," Usagi explained. "Thankfully he isn't going to do it, but it really upset my mother."

Mamoru pulled Usagi off the stool. She squeaked in surprise, turning to look at him. His mouth came down on hers and he grinned at her.

"Hi," he said.

Her heart felt like it had turned to mush. Her legs felt wobbly and a silly grin spread across her face.

"Hi." She blushed.

Mamoru kissed her again, then buried his face in her neck, making Usagi feel special and wanted. Every time he was near her she felt complete. She could sense his presence somewhere in her mind even as he held her close.

"All right you two. This is a family establishment," Motoki said, grinning when they both spun to look at him. Usagi felt her face heat and hid it in Mamoru's chest with a squeak.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
The Moon computer beeped a warning. Usagi glanced at her brother and cousin. "I have to go," she said quietly. They'd been at the Crown for several hours, all of them playing games and talking as they munched on snacks

"Be safe," Shingo said. Usagi nodded and hurried to the back of the arcade. Motoki let her and the others slip out the back entrance so they could henshin in private when they needed to move quickly.

A second beep from the Moon Computer startled her. She opened it and gasped. "There's a second attack."

"Call the others," Mamoru said, and then henshined.

She pulled open her communicator and pressed the symbol for Jupiter. When her friend answered, Usagi talked quickly. "Mako, we have two attacks happening at once. We can't handle both. Can you and the others take one?"

"Hie," Makoto answered, looking excited. "Where is it?"

"There is one near Rei's school and the other is on the other side of the shopping district. We're closer to the second one and can get there quickly if you take the other."

"We're on our way," she said, and the connection went dead.

Usagi sighed in relief. Within a minute she was transformed and running across the rooftops, Tuxedo Kamen and North Knight on her flanks.

The attack was happening in a soccer field. The people in the stands were screaming in panic. There were two Youma. They looked like twins. One wore blue and was throwing ice, with more of the blue shards dripping from his hair, the other was wearing orange and throwing flames, with streaking flames for her hair.

Sailor Moon hurried to jump from the edge of a building nearby, using her momentum to launch herself from the top of the bleachers, getting between the two creatures. Two solid thumps in the grass behind her told her the other warriors were ready.

She tore her tiara from her head, charging it and preparing to throw. The Fire Youma blasted a wall of flame at her. The Ice Youma kept the others at bay with a wall of ice. Moon wasn't too afraid however. She had faced Youma alone before and this would be no different.

She launched the tiara while the Youma laughed, and took it by surprise, cutting a deep gash into the orange-red skin of her arm. An outraged scream came from the creature, who fell back, holding the wound and crying for the other.

The Ice Youma turned away from Kamen and North to attack Sailor Moon from behind, but the others captured it before it could harm her. North Knight shot a blast of pure energy at the flame Youma, hitting her squarely in the chest.

Sailor Moon launched her tiara for a second time, this time aiming specifically to behead the monster. It screamed as the glowing weapon approached and from behind her Moon could hear the accompanying scream of the Ice Youma as both creatures were torn from existence. A cloud of dust shimmered in the air before falling to the muddy grass.

"Well that was no fun," came a voice from behind her. She whirled around to see Dark General Jadeite standing behind Tuxedo Kamen. Without thought she pulled the Moon Wand but before she could attempt healing he was moving away.

Jadeite laughed. "Have another for your troubles," he said, waving his hand. A new Youma appeared, sending out electrical shocks from it's body and waving around what looked like electrical cords. Sailor Moon had to dodge quickly to avoid being hit squarely in the chest.

The Dark General stepped backwards and disappeared into a portal, still laughing.

Sailor Moon turned her full attention on the Youma, but was distracted a moment later by movement. Dark General Nephrite was right behind North Knight, but he didn't make a move to harm him. Sailor Moon lifted her Wand and shouted, "Moon Healing Escalation!"

Nephrite's hand went to his chest, and he gasped. A moment later he disappeared into a portal. She turned back to the Youma only to find that Tuxedo Kamen had it wrapped in vines. North Knight shot a bolt of light energy at it and it disintegrated.

She looked around the crowded bleachers. Several people lay at the bottom, unconscious. She still held the Wand in her hand. Lifting it, she spoke her healing phrase again and watched as the silvery light flowed towards them.

"We need the medical people in here, just in case," Kamen said, and North pressed a button on his communicator to send the all clear signal. Once the ambulances arrived, and the creatures were gone, the pandemonium began to die down.

"Alright," Moon said, looking at the others. "I have to get back to Haruki and Shingo. They're still at the Crown waiting for us."

"I'll go with you," Kamen said, hurrying to her side.

"I told Minako I'd go see her today," Kunzite told them. "I'll see you soon though," he added.

They made their way out of the field and leapt to the top of the stands before making their way to the rooftops. Once they could hide in an alley, they all released their transformations. She and Mamoru moved swiftly, running back towards the arcade together.

She didn't get far before something pulled at her. Something was wrong. A strange feeling overwhelmed her. She ran for another second, but the feeling wouldn't go away.

Usagi stopped, unsure what it was that made her pause, but turned around and began running the other way. Mamoru called out to her, but she couldn't stop. She felt a need. Something strong, calling to her, as though something, or someone important would disappear if she didn't move quickly.

Her feet carried her faster than they ever had untransformed, and she panted, not with effort, but in fear. Tears streamed down her cheeks, and Makoto's face swam in her vision. Without pausing she let her henshin overtake her, and instantaneous change, and her speed increased until she felt as though she was flying.

She found herself near Makoto's apartment, on a short, hidden path in the park. Her friend lay on the ground, blood coming from a gash on her back.

"Mako!" she cried, falling to her knees beside her friend.

Tuxedo Kamen landed on her other side, as she put pressure on the wound, soaking her white gloves in bright crimson blood. Sobs tore out of her throat. Makoto was far too pale, and there was so much blood on the ground.

There was a rustle behind her, but she didn't turn. She didn't care about anything but saving her friend. A Youma could jump out and attack her, and she wouldn't let go even to fight. Makoto was badly hurt. How had she gotten so far on her own?

"What do we do?" Sailor Moon asked, looking up at Tuxedo Kamen for help.

His hand was on her neck, checking for the pulse. "I don't know," he whispered. "I wish I could heal her," he added. Instantly bright golden light erupted from his palms. "Move!" he commanded. She obeyed without question, somehow understanding he would help, and that it was Makoto's only hope.

"Please," she whispered. "Please let this work."

Sparkles of gold sunk into Makoto's back and disappeared, only to be replaced by more. Tuxedo Kamen seemed to glow and his eyes had changed, his irises gold now, as he sunk his will into the act. She watched, amazed, as the wound started to close before her eyes. Makoto gave a tiny cough, then moaned and stirred as though trying to get up.

"Don't try to move yet," she urged.

A small sound came from behind her and this time she turned, meeting a pair of bronze eyes. Her jaw dropped as she stared at Nephrite, worried he would attack Makoto. But his gaze was on the girl and his face was soft, as though he felt something for her. She hovered protectively, determined to let no harm come to Makoto.

His voice was small when he spoke. Gentle and almost timid. "I… I won't hurt her, just please heal her... and then, if you have enough energy, please save me" he begged.

Sailor Moon knew Makoto was already healing. She pulled the Moon Wand from her subspace pocket, then noticed the blood soaking her gloved hands. She wiped them on the skirt of her fuku, but the blood still covered them, and the Moon Wand. She shuddered as she felt the slick metal slip in her fingers. She had to heal him, and protect him from turning again.

"Moon Healing Escalation," she whispered, her voice shaking. The silvery glow enveloped Nephrite and he clutched at his chest, dropping to his knees. His eyes closed for a long moment, and he gasped, a shuddering breath escaping his lungs. Before he could move or speak, she grabbed his leg, still clutching the wand, and made her wish. 'Please protect Nephrite from being turned again. Help him to heal emotionally from what has been done to him, and keep him safe."

Sailor moon could feel the horror he was enduring and felt guilt wash over her. She hadn't seen that when she healed Kunzite and would likely see it two more times as Jadeite and Zoicite were closer in age to her than Mamoru and Kunzite.

She opened her eyes, but he wasn't looking at her. He was staring down at Makoto. "Is she okay?" he asked.

"She's alright," Tuxedo Kamen said, his voice calm. "Kunzite, help me turn her over."

Moon turned, shocked. She hadn't noticed the other young man's approach.

"Let me?" Nephrite asked. He moved closer to her. Makoto moaned as she was turned, but the large man lifted her easily into his arms, staring down at her face as though she was the most precious thing he had ever seen.

Releasing her henshin, Usagi stared up at him. She still knelt on the ground, her legs too shaky to hold her if she tried to stand. She sighed as she watched the silent exchange between the pair. He didn't seem to be hurting anymore. She wondered why it hurt them to be healed.

Her gaze turned to Kunzite, who was standing beside Nephrite, a consoling hand on the bigger man's shoulder. "I don't understand," she whispered.

"The pain?" Kunzite asked.

She nodded, unable to articulate what she wanted to express.

"You aren't causing it when you heal us," he said, and ducked in front of her so he could look into her eyes. She stared at him hopefully.

"I'm not?" she asked.

"It's the last desperate attempt of the Dark Queen to hold on to us, I think. It feels like she's clinging to our souls by her fingernails."

"Okay," Usagi whispered. She tried to rise, but couldn't. Exhaustion took her. The world faded to black.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
"Usako," Mamoru's voice was gentle, his arms tight around her. "Wake up Usako," he urged. She blinked her eyes open, staring up at his golden ones, and yawned.

"Sorry. I guess it was a bit too much," she said. She felt a tingle from him. "You can stop sending me energy now," she added.

Mamoru seemed confused. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"You're sending me energy. I can feel it everywhere we are touching," she explained.

He nodded. "Well, it's getting late, and I'm sure Haruki and Shingo are worried. We need to get Makoto somewhere safe and get you back to them."

"Mako? How is she? Has anyone let the others know she was hurt?" Usagi asked. She turned her head to see Nephrite holding Makoto. She looked tiny in his arms. Mamoru moved closer to the other teen so she could see her friend for herself.

"Lets all go to the arcade," Kunzite suggested. "I can just call Minako and have her meet us there. We can talk in the break room."

"Mako-chan needs rest," Usagi argued, but the others seemed to have made the decision and within moments she was being carried in spite of her complaints that she was fully capable of walking. Makoto was also protesting, but none of the guys were listening to them.

Ten minutes later they were sitting on the couch in the break room. Haruki and Shingo, both in a near panic, had rushed to join them as soon as they entered the arcade. Now they were hovering almost as much as Mamoru and Nephrite. Usagi was exasperated. She didn't feel weak or tired anymore, but Haruki went out and got a milkshake from Motoki.

"I've asked him to make you both something to eat," he said, coming back in.

"How much blood did she lose?" Shingo asked. "She needs protein, iron, and a lot of fluids."

Usagi realized Makoto was still bloody, and even though she was back in her normal clothing, her own legs were covered in blood as well. She shuddered. Makoto was still far too pale.

"Too much." 

"Neither of you looks very good," Motoki added, coming into the break room. "I've let people think you were caught up in a Youma attack and saved by Sailor Moon by the way.

"Thanks Toki," Mamoru said, running his fingers through Usagi's hair. He was sitting on the arm of the couch, one arm draped behind her protectively.

Usagi turned to look at Nephrite, who was standing against the wall, staring at Makoto. "Are you alright? It's a bit of a shock."

He only nodded, not taking his eyes from the other girl, who looked at him and blushed prettily.

"What happened?" Usagi asked her friend.

"We got your call that there were two attacks. It was Zoicite who released the one we had. It didn't seem that difficult at first, but then, when we thought it was done, another one appeared, this one stronger. It was going to get Mercury, so I pushed her out of the way. I didn't even realize I was hurt. Adrenaline I guess. We destroyed the Youma, but by then Mercury had been burned. Mars took her home, and I left. And then I started feeling dizzy and everything sort of went dark. I thought… for a minute I thought I was dead."

Usagi pulled Makoto closer, wrapping her arms around the taller girl in silent support. She'd been there herself and it was a huge shock when it had happened. "You're okay now, thank Kami," she whispered.

"I missed fighting Youma," Makoto admitted. "But I shouldn't have left without the others looking me over. It was sloppy."

Usagi nodded. "I've made that mistake too," she told her. "I'm just thankful we heal so quickly. But you're going to need to have a lot to drink and probably eat over the next few days. You scared me," she added, her voice breaking as the thought of losing Makoto ran through her. She shivered and Mako clutched at her.

"I've missed you too," Makoto said.

"And I've missed you," Usagi told her. "We need to get together at some point and practice I think." She pulled Makoto even closer and whispered in her ear, "what do you think of your new shadow?" she asked conspiratorially.

Makoto blushed. "He's cute," she whispered back. "I need time though," she added.

"I'm sure he might give you an hour," Usagi said with a giggle.

Makoto snorted in a very unladylike manner and hugged Usagi harder.


	10. Unfriendly Fire

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Sunday  
(continued)  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Minako saved the day. When she arrived at the Crown she brought with her two changes of clothing. Makoto had to squeeze into the smaller girl's outfit, but Usagi fit into the other almost perfectly. The dress Minako gave Usagi was rather shorter that she was used to, but it flowed prettily and showed her curves well. Much better than the baggy school uniforms did at least.

After she rushed into the room Minako had pushed the boys out and simply took charge. Usagi was grateful. In her opinion the boys were being a bit too high handed. Then Minako insisted on brushing out their hair, as both of them had twigs and leaves in their styles. She hadn't even noticed and honestly didn't think Mamoru cared, but she liked looking pretty.

When they finally emerged ten minutes later, she caught the way Mamoru stared. His gaze traveled from her head to her feet, and slowly back up. He swallowed heavily when his eyes met her mostly bare legs and Usagi had to hide a giggle. It made her feel beautiful.

"Wow," he breathed, and Usagi couldn't help grinning at Minako and Makoto.

With Minako there, the talk turned from the Youma attack and their injuries back to more mundane matters. Mostly boys, but that was something they spoke of in whispers as they watched the guys. They all went back out into the dining area of the arcade and sat around two tables, which had been pushed together.

She knew the reprieve was only temporary, and they would have to discuss Senshi matters soon, but Usagi hoped that with a little time all three of the guys would calm themselves. She didn't want them thinking they could order her or Makoto around. After all, they were strong heroes in their own right, and her father had always taught her that women were the equals of men, no matter what society dictated.

Laughter surrounded her as Haruki and Shingo got into a heated debate over the best Sailor V game, Shingo devoutly proclaiming the final one was best while Haruki claimed the third in the series, released just before her disappearance would always be his favorite. Usagi stopped them and explained why the first one was the best that had been created. Minako made a little noise in her throat and Usagi saw that she was blushing slightly. She wondered why, but didn't say anything as Kunzite grabbed the girl's attention, holding her hand and giving her a peck on the cheek.

Looking around at the group, who were busily munching their way through little baskets of food in both Japanese and Western styles, she couldn't help but be thankful to have all of them in her life. She stayed close to Makoto, who was still rather pale, and Mamoru, who seemed unwilling to leave her side.

When the time came to leave, she didn't want to go. Never had she spent so much time in such a happy atmosphere and she was dreading the return of the uncomfortable silence she was sure she would find at home. Worse, she was afraid that the moments she had spent with Mako would end when she went back to the other girls.

Makoto grabbed her in a tight hug before she left. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" she asked, giving Usagi a piercing look. Usagi nodded and hugged her hard for several minutes. "Nephrite is going to walk me home," she confessed. "I'll tell the other girls what happened."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
The house was quiet when they entered. Usagi breathed a sigh of relief when she saw her mother and father, cuddled together, napping on the couch. Obviously things between them had returned to normal. She met Shingo's eyes, and then Haruki's. All three of them nodded before moving to the kitchen together to prepare supper. Haruki was a good cook and the two of them would be his helpers.

They worked quietly, hoping not to wake them. Moving around one another was relatively easy. It actually felt as though they had done the chore together a thousand times. Usagi cut up vegetables while Shingo set the table and prepared drinks and Haruki did the actual cooking.

Within half an hour her mother and father had woken and were sitting at the table as they brought the meal and laid it in front of them.

"I want to thank you kids for giving us time today," Kenji said after thanking the Kami for their food and the three of them for preparing it. "I know it was probably pretty difficult to see us upset."

Usagi nodded. She didn't speak though, preferring to wait and see what else had happened.

"Your father won't be an investigative reporter anymore," Ikuko said, taking over. "His boss offered him one of the editorial positions and he took it."

A huge sigh of relief escaped before Usagi could hold it back. She blushed and peered at her father under her lashes, hoping he wasn't upset that she wanted him to stay at his desk in his safe, comfortable office. He grinned at her.

"So what did you three do today?" he asked.

"Not much," Usagi said, smiling at her parents. "Not much at all."

Shingo snorted. "We had a great argument about what the best Sailor V game was, and Usagi and Makoto are friends again."

"That's wonderful news. How did it happen?"

Usagi frowned, unsure how to explain without telling about the attack, but Haruki saved her. "They ran into each other after a Youma attack. They were both pretty close to it and helped out after," he lied.

"Oh. Usagi, you need to make sure you stay out of danger though," her mother said, in a slightly scolding tone.

She wanted to roll her eyes. "Of course, mom." She sent a silent thank you to Haruki and went back to her meal.

When they were done eating and her parents were washing the dishes, Usagi led the boys upstairs. Haruki would be going to school the next day and his things had arrived while they had been gone. His car was parked in the driveway and there were several boxes and bags on his bed. She and Shingo helped him unpack and then they went out to get his uniform together.

It was still light out, though it seemed like a week had passed since they'd left the house that morning. They made the walk a leisurely one, talking about what it was like to have powers, and focusing on how the other two could help her keep her identity secret.

They made it to the tailor's shop and Usagi decided to get a new skirt as one of hers was frayed. Shingo found a new pair of school shoes. Haruki was fitted and bought three full outfits with several extra shirts and two blazers as well as a school sweater and an outfit for gym class.

When they finally left the sun was setting and the sky was a blaze of colors. It was rather beautiful. She looked up, hoping to be the first to see a star, and nearly tripped over the curb. Haruki caught her, laughing at her clumsiness and making her blush in embarrassment.

They walked slowly through the shopping district until Usagi pointed out the ice-cream parlor where she had eaten with Naru and Umino only a short time before. "Let's have desert," she suggested, hurrying over to the stand in front of the store where a man was busily putting sprinkles onto a cone for a little girl.

They each got a cone and went to sit at one of the tables. Usagi couldn't help looking down the street at the craft store, where her mother had been involved in an attack only a week before.

"You okay?" Haruki asked.

Usagi nodded, pointing out the location to her cousin. "That's where mom was hurt," she explained.

"It's a good thing you and Mamoru were close enough," Shingo said, his voice shaking slightly.

"It is. I don't think I was ever really that scared before. And yet, within a week, it seems like I've been afraid a lot," she added, sighing.

"Mako is okay, and so is mom," Shingo said, putting a hand over hers.

Usagi bit her lip and held back the tears that wanted to escape. It had been a stressful day. The chocolate ice cream helped. It was definitely a comfort food. She plastered on a grin and ate her treat, comfortable and safe with her brother and cousin.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Monday  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Usagi slipped out of bed and made her way down the stairs, her heart still pounding and her abdomen aching at the remnants of the dream. So many things had been happening in her life, and it felt as though they were coming too fast for her to handle. She was grateful for new friends, for being able to save Kunzite and Nephrite, and for the repair to her relationship with Makoto, but she felt overwhelmed.

Her mind went back to the dream. It had been intense, full of heartbreak and fear. And she couldn't remember much. Images mostly. Vague, blurry, fleeting. She couldn't hold on to the memories, and that disturbed her. Especially since she had a feeling that there was something extremely important about the dreams. Something that would lead her to the princess.

She went to the stove and put the kettle on the burner, before pulling out a thick mug with Sailor V emblazoned on the front. She added several scoops of the hot chocolate mix and waited for the water to heat, staring contemplatively out into the darkness through the wide window above the kitchen sink.

There was much to think about. When her hot chocolate was prepared she settled into a chair at the table, resting her chin in her hand to ponder everything that had happened. She still had two Dark Generals to save, and she didn't know how she was going to manage it. They would probably be expecting something. And they might retaliate much faster than they had when Kunzite defected.

Usagi knew she had to be prepared for anything.

The house came alive with sounds as the sun rose. Her father and mother woke first and while her father showered Ikuko came down to prepare his breakfast. Usagi helped her as she could while making bento boxes for herself, Haruki, and Shingo. When the boys trooped down a little later Haruki made his way blearily to the coffee pot, his eyes barely open, while Shingo moved straight for the boxes of sugary cereal on top of the refrigerator.

Usagi slipped back up the stairs and dressed before gathering her school things. Her mother would be registering Haruki at the high school that morning, and Usagi planned to leave early so she could run a quick patrol. Shingo walked out beside her and they headed towards his school.

"We need a good prank for Haruki," Shingo said, breaking the comfortable silence between them. "Something that will perk up his mood and remind him he still has family," he added.

"I have just the thing," Usagi said, and she related one of the pranks she had recently heard about. They laughed over the idea and started planning as they walked. Smiles and laughter followed them.

Until they heard a roar.

Usagi turned and saw a humanoid Youma with orange skin. It was wearing bright purple spandex leggings and a red top that was far too tight and showed too much breast. It wasn't just a monster, it was a crime against fashion. She urged Shingo to move into the alley with her and told him to hide behind a trash barrel.

Her henshin took her quickly and she immediately sent out a message to the others. "Youma, near the elementary school. Shingo is with me. Hurry!" She closed the communicator and took a last worried glance at her brother before dashing out of the alley and towards danger.

"Hey!" she cried out, seeing that the Youma had two younger students pinned against a brick wall. "Harming students on their way to school is unforgivable. I am the Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, and in the name of the moon, I'll punish you." As far as opening speeches went it wasn't her best, but she had to get its attention away from the kids.

As soon as the Youma moved towards her she ordered the children to run and they moved quickly, both sobbing in fear. "Rugia?" the Youma seemed to ask. Sailor Moon shook her head. Sometimes the monsters seemed incredibly stupid. This one wasn't very bright, and she was grateful. She pulled her tiara off her head and charged it as the creature began running at her.

It was fast. Before she could throw the tiara, the Youma was on top of her. She let out a screech of frustration and kicked at it, but it held her down. Unable to escape she lifted the hand with the tiara and hit it again and again, but the charge hadn't been completed and the tiara was inert. She knew a moment of panic as the creature's hands closed around her throat. She choked and wheezed, her vision going dark.

She couldn't let it win. She had to protect her brother, but no matter how hard she struggled she couldn't break the Youma's hold. She kicked and scratched, but it was no good. She was trapped, and if someone didn't get to her soon, she was afraid she might die. And then her brother would be unprotected.

"Blue Moon Radiance!" a voice screamed, and Sailor Moon turned to see a younger hero in a silvery white uniform with blue trim, blue boots, and a silver sword in his hand. She blinked, noting the dark blonde hair and blue eyes that looked so much like her own.

The Youma above her was blown backwards and toppled onto it's back. Sailor Moon coughed and rolled to her hands and knees, gasping for breath. She made it to her feet and wordlessly charged her tiara, throwing it like a discus strait for the neck of the creature. As the dust fluttered to the ground she was already making her way toward her brother.

"Come on," she whispered, unable to raise her voice. "We have to go release our henshin."

He followed her into the alley. Instead of staying there to transform she tugged him into another side street and down a second alley before looking in every direction. Then she nodded to him that it was okay and became Usagi again. He stared at her for a moment.

"I don't know how," he said finally.

"Just think of being your normal self again," she whispered, her voice breaking several times.

She flipped open her communicator and pressed the button with the Earth symbol on it. She needed healing before she could go to school. And she needed comforting. Her brother was a superhero. It was scary enough being one herself. Having her little brother forced to fight was unthinkable.

Shingo scrunched his face up in concentration, then shook his head in frustration. "I can't do it," he said.

Usagi wasn't sure what to do. She tugged on one of the streamers of her hair wishing Luna had been with them that morning. The cat had guided Usagi through her first few transformations.

Mamoru appeared at the mouth of the alley, Kunzite and Nephrite on his heels. "Are you alright?"

Usagi nodded but she was more focused on her brother. "The danger is over Shingo," she croaked. "I'm okay. You're safe. Release."

Suddenly his transformation faded, and he stood in front of her in his school uniform. A moment later he had thrown his arms around her.

"I thought you were dead," he whimpered.

"I'm okay," she repeated. "Thank you for saving me."

"I don't even know what I did. I just sort of heard the words as I spoke them, and they seemed right. Does that make any sense?"

Usagi nodded. It made perfect sense to her. She'd been through it herself after all. "It does," she whispered, her voice breaking again.

"What happened?" Mamoru asked, looking slightly panicked. "Why didn't you wait for me this morning?"

"Her throat is hurt," Shingo told him.

Mamoru lifted a hand and touched the bruised area on her neck. Usagi felt a tingling warmth and saw sparkles at the lower edge of her vision. She sighed in relief as the wounds healed.

"Thank you," she said, her brother still tucked under her arm.

"What happened?" Mamoru repeated.

Shingo took up the explanation. "There was a Youma attacking some younger kids from my school and Usagi had to go protect them, but it was really fast and got her and then it was choking her, and I felt all warm and then really hot and then I was Blue Moon Knight and I was holding a sword and shouting and the Youma fell back and Sailor Moon killed it." He finished in a rush, panting slightly.

"Are you both okay?" Mamoru asked, wrapping his arms around them.

Usagi nodded. "Yeah. Better now." She knew her voice was shaking, however. She was terrified. Not for herself anymore, but for Shingo. Her little brother was one of them, and she didn't know what to do about it.

"We're going to need a meeting as soon as everyone gets out of school," Mamoru said, "but for right now, lets get Shingo to class and then I'll walk you, okay?"

Usagi nodded mutely, unsure what to say. She was afraid if she opened her mouth her panic would drive her to start screaming. This was her baby brother. She couldn't lose him. And he was so young. But she knew, better than anyone, that once you transformed the first time the Negaverse seemed to follow you. He wouldn't be able to go back to the ordinary life he had been living. Which meant he needed to be trained.

She managed to hold herself together until Shingo was safely inside his school. All through the short walk, her brother had kept close, his hand on her arm, or giving her frequent hugs as though he was just as afraid of losing her as she was of him. It occurred to Usagi that he had never seen her in a fight first-hand before.

When he was gone, Usagi turned, took in a gulp of air, and broke down crying on the sidewalk. Mamoru wrapped his arms around her and held her tight. The sobs didn't dissipate, however. They seemed to grow worse. Her whole body shook as fear overwhelmed her. She had nearly died, and now her little brother would be forced to fight.

She didn't notice Mamoru had picked her up until he sat down and pulled her into his lap. She sniffled and looked up at him, unsure what to say. They were in the park between her school and her brother's, and Kunzite and Nephrite were nowhere to be seen.

"Are you really alright?" Mamoru asked.

"My b-br-brother…" Usagi managed before the sobbing started again.

Mamoru nodded. "I'm scared for him too," he admitted. "But we will start training him today, and for now he can be a backup. We won't send him into battle until we're absolutely sure he's ready. I promise."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
The school day dragged. Usagi had arrived late, but Haruna-sensei had taken one look at her red-rimmed eyes and tear-streaked face and had immediately given her permission to go to the bathroom. Naru had rushed out after her and helped her calm down a bit before she went to class.

She felt completely out of control. There was no way she could protect everyone she loved, and it seemed like there were so many more people to worry about. With Nephrite, Kunzite, and now Shingo, Usagi was feeling the pressure to end the fight with the Negaverse and also to repair her friendship with Ami and Rei.

At lunch Makoto came over and gave her a hug, pulling Ami along in her wake. She took both girls to the side, as Minako was sitting next to Naru and Umino on the grass, and explained what had happened. Both girls gasped in horror, expressing the same fears she felt herself. Somehow it helped that they understood. They had both grown close to Shingo in their own ways.

When school was over Mamoru was waiting for her. Kunzite, Nephrite, and Haruki were still in class, but he had left early. Together they walked to Shingo's school.

"I let Haruki know what happened while we were at lunch," he explained, his voice quiet so that no one on the crowded sidewalk could overhear. "He was upset, or course, but he wanted me to remind you that Shingo is very smart, and he can learn from our mistakes as well as our successes. He doesn't have to make the same ones we did."

Usagi nodded, thankful for the encouragement. "That's a good reminder," she said, sighing.

They reached the gate of the school and saw Shingo rushing toward them almost instantly. He seemed in better spirits, but hugged Usagi tightly the moment he reached her. "I saw you crying this morning," he said, his voice trembling. "I'll be okay. I'll listen to everything you say and I promise I won't do anything stupid."

"Pinky swear?" Usagi asked.

Shingo nodded. "Pinky swear." He held out his pinky, curled slightly, and she grabbed it in her own in the time-honored tradition.

"So what do we do now?" Shingo asked.

"We're going to the command center. We need to talk to Luna about this and see what she says. The others should be by shortly."

"What did the girls say?" Mamoru lifted his eyebrows.

"They were worried, of course. He is much younger than we were, but Ami reminded me that he is really smart, and Makoto said she'll work with him on improving his strength. I was thinking since Nephrite and Kunzite both use swords they can teach him that, and you and I can help him access his powers, which seem more like ours than the others," Usagi concluded.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
After a long meeting where Luna fretted over her newest charges, and a trip home for supper, Usagi and Shingo left the house just after eating with Haruki in tow. They couldn't leave him behind and let their parents think they were ignoring him, so they dropped him at the arcade to hang out with Motoki while they made their way to the rooftops to meet with Mamoru and the others.

Transformed, the group of warriors looked rather impressive. It was nearing sunset and the lighter colors of the Shitennou's uniforms, and the silvery hue of Blue Moon Knight's reflected the dying sun. They taught Shingo as much as they could about stealth and maintaining his secret, reminding him that failure could lead to friends and family getting caught in the crossfire.

Kunzite and Nephrite worked with Shingo on his sword. Mamoru taught him to dodge with blunted roses, and Usagi spent several long minutes walking him through accessing his powers the way she had with Mamoru when he was struggling.

They henshined and made their way to the park, leaping from rooftop to rooftop. Blue Moon Knight picked up on the running and jumping easily. Once they made it to the park they ran through several drills they had practiced when it was only three of them, changing some of their strategies to include the other two, or working on ways they could help if they weren't directly in the battle.

Blue Moon Knight was as adept at jumping through the trees as Tuxedo Kamen and offered to be lookout until he was fully trained. Sailor Moon couldn't have spoken any faster as she agreed. Kunzite, who was North Knight in his fighting form, and Nephrite who became East Knight, both offered different techniques to battle Youma and they all worked on ideas for what to do in the coming days. They were certain the attacks from the Negaverse would increase and wanted to be prepared.

The three teens walked with Usagi and Shingo to pick Haruki back up. Minako was with him and Motoki and walked with them. 

Before Usagi could go into the house, Mamoru caught her arm and turned her, pulling her close. "Usako," he whispered, and lowered his lips to meet hers. The kiss was far more intense and passionate than any they had shared up until that point, and when they parted she was blushing to her roots. Minako was giggling and the other boys all seemed to be blushing as furiously as herself and Mamoru.

Usagi's knees were weak and Mamoru had to catch her twice before she was able to walk on her own. She made it to the door and turned to see a longing look on his face. She gave him a small wave goodbye, and opened the door to hurry inside, quickly followed by Shingo and Haruki.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Tuesday  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Shingo and Usagi snuck into the room as quietly as they could, armed with the supplies they had gathered the night before. Their plan was well thought out and completely ready. They worked in absolute silence, the darkness thick with only the dim light of the dawn creeping over the horizon and the light from the door into the hallway, which was slightly open, so they could escape undetected.

For nearly thirty minutes they worked diligently, hoping they wouldn't be caught before their plan was complete. Usagi pressed the tacks into the wall and Shingo came behind her, wrapping the string tightly as he caught it before the tack was tight. Then they crossed to the other side of the room, careful not to touch their prey and wake him too soon.

Usagi turned back to admire their handiwork and set up the camera on the dresser to catch the action. They were caught in the hallway by their father, who, instead of looking mad or annoyed, seemed extremely excited to see what would happen. In fact, he wanted to be there when the action went down. He opened Haruki's door and slammed it closed with a loud bang.

Seconds later there were frustrated shouts as Haruki was caught and tangled in the string the two of them had crossed back and forth over the bed. They threw the door open and watched as his frustration gave way to laughter. His eyes twinkled with mirth as he promised he would have his revenge.

Usagi and Shingo laughed, slapping their hands against their legs. She was overwhelmed with her fits of giggles until she had to run to the bathroom to avoid an accident. They both helped clean up the mess and all of them moved downstairs to show the video to her mother, who laughed as well.

Practical jokes were allowed as long as they weren't mean-spirited, and often the evidence was caught on tape in the hopes of teaching future generations of Tsukino's. They told their parents all about the idea and the planning over breakfast. Usagi was, for once, thankful that the dreams tended to wake her long before her alarm every morning. She and Shingo had been prepared before the sun was up.

Mamoru met them at the door with Nephrite, and after several long kisses, explained that Kunzite was walking with Minako. Then he took her hand and they started walking. 

Usagi nudged Nephrite. "How are things going with Makoto?" she asked.

"I asked her out, and she said yes," he answered, blushing.

"That's wonderful," Usagi said. "Where are you taking her? When are you going?"

Nephrite shrugged. "I think this weekend, and I have no idea where yet. Still new to everything and have to find my bearings."

After they had dropped Shingo at his school, Mamoru pulled Usagi into his arms. "I was wondering if you and I could go on a date this weekend," he said, his voice quiet. "Do you think your parents would mind you being out half and hour past curfew?"

Usagi shook her head. "Not as long as they know where I will be and why," she answered.

"I'll talk to your dad tonight then and see what he thinks."

"I could ask him," Usagi offered, but he just shook his head.

"No. I don't want to spoil the surprise." He kissed her gently when she started to protest, making her giggle. They made their way to her school where the guys met up with Kunzite before heading to the high school. Nephrite seemed disappointed because Makoto wasn't there yet, but Usagi assured him that she would tell Mako he'd looked for her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Friday  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday passed without a single attack. Usagi's nerves began to fray as she waited for something, anything, to happen. Nephrite had begun training with Makoto and the other girls to even out the teams, and it was going alright. Usagi had the ability to send her battle plans to the Mercury computer, so as they added new strategies, or worked through problems on the old ones, she informed the others.

She wished they could simply all gather together to train and practice, but Rei said she wasn't ready for that and Usagi decided it was best to accept that in the hopes that they could one day restore their friendship.

Makoto complained, frustrated because Rei didn't want to train with Nephrite, so by the time Friday morning rolled around she and Nephrite joined both training sessions, spending the first half with Rei and Ami and the second with Usagi and the team that had formed around her. It was nice working with her again.

By the time school ended on Friday Usagi was on edge. Something was going to happen, and she thought it was growing closer and closer. She couldn't sit still during classes and Haruna-sensei thought she was sick and wanted to send her home. Instead, Usagi spent an hour talking with Nurse Akemi, happily discussing her life with a pregnant teenager in the house. The nurse had never seemed so happy and Usagi was proud she had come up with the idea to turn to her for help.

When they left the school, it was as a small group. Ami and Makoto stopped to talk to her for several minutes before they hurried to meet up with Rei, who had to get to the Jinja to perform her miko duties. Usagi waved goodbye to Naru and Umino, and she and Minako made their way to the Crown Game Center.

Usagi found herself growing more and more on edge as time passed. By the time Mamoru, Shingo, and Kunzite arrived, she was halfway certain there would be an attack before they could get there. She fretted, biting at her nails, a habit she'd thought long broken. Her triple chocolate shake sat on the counter untouched until she felt Mamoru wrap his arms around her. Then the melted treat disappeared inside a minute as she relaxed into his embrace.

As the evening wore on and no attacks came, Usagi began to feel she would go insane if something didn't happen soon. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
The Moon computer let out a beep twenty minutes after Usagi laid down for the night. Her first thought was 'finally.' She gave a relieved sigh. The waiting had driven her half mad. She made her way across the hall to Shingo's door and he was already hurrying out to meet her, throwing a sweater on over his pajamas.

They hurried out onto Usagi's balcony and leapt down. She signaled to Mamoru as they ran, making their way to the park where they hid in a clump of bushes to transform.

Sailor Moon ordered Blue Moon Knight into the trees where he was to keep watch and only attack if it was a last resort. He nodded and hid in the branches of the trees, following her deeper into the park where she could feel the slimy miasma of evil.

When she arrived she saw people laying on blankets in the grass, all of them passed out. There had been some sort of outdoor concert. The performers were Youma in disguise. Their instruments had been used to gather the energy of the spectators. She groaned as she realized how many people she would have to heal.

There were seven Youma in all, and they seemed to know she was coming. All of them were searching the area as though waiting. They were still draining the people and Sailor Moon knew she had to stop them even though the others hadn't arrived yet. It was rare, but people had died from the energy drain. She couldn't let that happen.

Tearing her tiara off her forehead, she charged it and sent it out at the Youma while still in the shadow of the trees. The weapon glowed with the magic of the moon, spinning rapidly as it tore through the night and took out the first Youma in the group. She sent her thoughts into it, sending it to the next, but the other Youma were ready for her and dodged in every direction. Calling it back to herself, Sailor Moon placed it on her forehead.

"Twilight Flash!" she screamed and caught another of the Youma before it could hide.

"Meddlesome brat," hissed a voice behind her. She searched the shadows and saw Jadeite step out of a portal that had opened only feet from her. She was forced to throw herself to the ground and roll as he sent out a wave of dark energy at her.

"Tuxedo la Smoking Bomber!" came a cry in the darkness, and she breathed a sigh of relief.

It was short-lived however as Zoicite stepped out from another portal and instantly released several more Youma just as Jadeite released several as he dodged the attack from Tuxedo Kamen. East Knight moved forward, blades twirling in each hand as he moved toward Jadeite, who met his first attack and held it back with a short sword and dodged away to release another Youma.

"Blue Moon Radiance!" came a cry from the trees and Sailor Moon turned to see Zoicite had been about to grab her from behind. He was on his knees when she turned, one arms still outstretched toward her.

"Twilight Flash!" she screamed, then pulled the Moon Wand from her subspace pocket. "Moon Healing Escalation!" The cry left her lips and the park looked as though it were lit by the noon sun for several long seconds. Both Jadeite and Zoicite disappeared into portals, leaving them to fight over a dozen Youma.

She turned to see her brother jump down from the tree where a Youma was trying to reach him. She had no time to see what was happening and simply lifted the wand again, but before she could take action she was hit from behind and knocked to her hands and knees. As she fell she saw another warrior step out from behind the trees and gasped. It was her cousin, and he was Sun Knight. She knew him instantly.

"Watch Out Moon!" Kamen called, and a moment later he was throwing a storm of roses around her. She knew what was coming and did several backflips, making her way to Blue Moon Knight and pulling him away from the nearest rose. She saw North and East move as well, moving to cover themselves before the vines exploded out of the flowers. In one motion most of the Youma were caught up, leaving the rest of them to pick off the ones who had escaped Tuxedo Kamen's attack. Meanwhile he began tightening the vines around the Youma drawing them together.

Mars, Mercury, and Jupiter ran into the park and immediately began throwing their own attacks at the Youma. 

"Burning Mandala!" Mars cried and instead of attacking the ones who were free. Her attack hit the group of trapped Youma, letting them escape. Sailor Moon could see the frustration and upset on her face when she realized her mistake.

A Youma was sneaking up behind Mercury and Sailor Moon threw her tiara, taking it out and another that was closing in on Mars. "Watch out!" she cried.

Sailor Jupiter yelled "Supreme Thunder," and spun a kick at the Youma that was too close for her attack, while another was knocked away from East Knight, who was swinging both swords at several other Youma.

Sailor Moon felt a piecing pain and looked down. Something had pierced her, from the back to the front, and she felt shock as pain ripped through her body. She screamed in agony and turned to fight the creature but fell to her knees.

"Tuxedo la Smoking Bomber!" came a cry from across the field. She knew the move well and ducked out of the way as the blast hit the Youma over her. A second later she heard a cry of pain from him and turned to see that Mars' Burning Mandala attack had hit him in the back.

She hobbled toward him as fast as she could, fighting the Youma she passed, but there were still so many of them and Zoicite and Jadeite were popping out of their portals releasing more every few minutes. Sailor Moon made it to Tuxedo Kamen, who was on his hands and knees, most of his back and side covered in severe burns.

She looked up at Mars. "Why?" she sobbed.

Mars looked horror struck and shook her head, her mouth open wide.

Sailor Moon lifted her Wand. "Moon Healing Escal-" she was cut off as Tuxedo Kamen suddenly passed out, falling forward and knocking her to the ground. She screamed in agony and felt a rush of blood as the pain speared through her.

"Well, isn't she perfect," a voice said from the darkness. She peered into the shadows and gasped as Zoicite stepped out of a portal behind Mars. "I think she will be a great dark general," he continued.

She still held the Moon Wand and lifted it as she screamed a warning, but the weight of Tuxedo Kamen over her prevented her from stopping Zoicite. The long-haired strawberry-blonde grabbed Mars around the waist, stepped back, and disappeared into a portal. There was a brief flash as it closed, and Sailor Moon realized something had happened to Mars' henshin.

"Mars!" the scream hurt her throat as it was drawn from her.

The others all turned to look, but they were still fighting the Youma, and they were hopelessly outmatched. She lifted the Wand again as her vision began to blur. "Moon Healing Escalation," she whispered, sending every bit of the healing into Tuxedo Kamen. Only he could heal her, and together they could take out the Youma.

Her eyes closed and the Wand slipped from her hand.

She awoke to screams of her name of the lips of Tuxedo Kamen and Blue Moon Knight. Kamen had his hands on her waist and she felt the healing pouring into her. Blue Moon held his sword in both hands, hovering over both of them protectively. Only one Youma was near and it was steadfastly avoiding the blade, trying to get around her brother to reach her on the ground.

Power filled her as the healing completed and Tuxedo Kamen poured energy into her. The moon revitalized her as well, and with all of that she screamed her attack. "MOON HEALING ESCALATION!"

The glow lit the park and every one of the Youma disintegrated. Sailor Moon scrambled to her hands and knees, hurrying toward the place where Sailor Mars had been taken. She began searching the grass and wept in anger and fear when her hands met a small cylindrical object. She lifted it up and turned, holding it in the palm of her hand. It was the Mars transformation pen.

"She dropped it," Sailor Moon sobbed. "She dropped it on purpose."

"Mars!" cried Mercury. 

Sailor Moon lowered her head, rage filling her. A new warrior moved to her side and helped her up. She raised her head and looked into eyes she knew well. Minako. But she was wearing a fuku with a bright orange skirt. North Knight stayed close to her side. In the shock and horror a strange thought occurred to Sailor Moon. North Knight and the new Senshi matched. The orange lining inside his cape was identical to the color of her fuku skirt. 

"Are you okay?" the warrior asked, steadying her as she rose to her feet.

"No. Zoicite took Mars. They're going to try turning her into a dark general."

"That could take days," the new warrior said, frowning. "We have time to come up with a rescue plan before they turn her."

Sailor Moon gave her friend a grim smile. "She can't be turned. I made sure of it."

"What are we going to do?" asked Mercury, sounding panicked.

"We'll get her back!" Sailor Moon declared. She didn't care what arguments they'd had. Rei was her friend whether she wanted to be or not, and Sailor Moon would do everything she could to ensure her safe return.


	11. Missing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my goodness guys, this chapter seriously took less than three hours to type with no plan beforehand. It sort of flowed out as though I'd already written it. That doesn't happen often, but in this case, I ran with it and I'm pretty pleased with the results. Please tell me what you think.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Friday  
(continued)  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Only moments had passed since Rei had been taken, but Sailor Moon felt as though she had aged a million years. Her heart beat a pounding rhythm in her chest, and she wanted to scream. She knew she had to stay calm, however. She was the leader, whether she had asked for it or not.

Her mind conjured up the image of the deliberate drop Mars had made, revealing her true face. She understood the reason but was worried the other girls wouldn't. It would be horrible if they thought it was a betrayal. In fact, it was an ultimate act of self-sacrifice. Without her henshin wand, there would be no Mars fighting against them. However, Sailor Moon wished her friend had trusted her when she'd said she was protected from turning evil.

She put on a brave face for the others. "We'll get her back!" Sailor Moon declared again. She was determined that she would not fail.

"Who are you?" Sailor Jupiter asked, a look of recognition on her face as she turned to the second blonde.

"Sailor Venus," the newest member of their group said. "I'm sorry I couldn't get here sooner. I was delayed by several Youma in the shopping district or I would have come faster."

"I know," Sailor Moon said, putting her hand on her friend's shoulder.

"It's her fault Mars is gone," Mercury said.

"No, it isn't," Sailor Moon said, her voice breaking on a sob. "It's no one's fault. We were outnumbered five to one before the end. No one is to blame for this."

"But-"

Sailor Moon cut her off with a look. "Don't you dare, Mercury. Don't you go making this about anything but Metallia and what she has done to everyone. I will get Mars back or die trying."

"No!" shouted North Knight and Venus, both of them looking horrified.

"We need to plan," Kunzite said, a little more calm. 

"You aren't going in there alone, and certainly not tonight!" Venus said, her voice firm. "You were just mortally wounded. I don't care if you're healed. You need rest."

"She's right," Mercury said, tears streaming down her face. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I shouldn't have said..."

Sailor Venus turned to Mercury. "Don't. You're upset and scared and all you want is to know she's okay. I'm not mad. I should have come out of hiding weeks ago, so maybe it is my fault."

"I knew it!" Blue Moon Knight yelled, looking star struck. "You ARE Sailor V!"

"We need to get these people healed and to safety," Sailor Moon reminded everyone. She turned to Tuxedo Kamen. "Can you feed me energy so I can heal them all at once?" she asked. He nodded and stood behind her, a hand on either shoulder. She felt him sending energy into her and lifted the wand one last time.

"Moon Healing Escalation!" she shouted. The light of healing touched everyone. It lasted several seconds before fading. People were stirring all over. She sent out a call to first responders and turned back to the rest of the group.

"Go home for tonight. We will meet first thing in the morning to discuss our rescue operation."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Usagi didn't go home. Instead she carefully climbed the steps of the Hikawah Jinja and made her way to the family quarters. Grandfather Hino deserved to know the truth. His granddaughter had not abandoned him, and they would get her back. She had to tell him everything.

It had been a difficult decision for her to make, but it seemed to be the only real course of action. If he suddenly started putting up fliers with Rei's picture, the Dark Generals would easily learn her name, and he would be in danger. It could also lead to the rest of their identities being discovered. She had to protect the rest of the group, and their families.

She knocked on the door and waited, hearing the pattering of feet and a grumble about the late hour. When the door swung open the elderly priest looked up at her in surprise. "Usagi-chan? What are you doing here so late? Rei-chan is sleeping I'm afraid."

Usagi shook her head. "May I please come in?" she asked, trying to remain calm.

He gave her a small smile and opened the door wider. "Of course. You are always welcome child. I know you and Rei have been arguing, but she loves you very much."

She tried to smile back at him, but knew it came out looking rather sickly. She slipped off her shoes and toed on a pair of guest slippers before moving into the sitting area where she immediately knelt on a pillow at the little table. Guilt overwhelmed her. Somehow she should have prevented this from happening. Now it was too late and she had to face a man who had lost nearly everything. 

"Would you like me to wake her for you?" Grandfather asked.

"No thank you. I've come to talk to you Hino-sama."

The old man waved his hand impatiently. "None of that Usagi-chan. None of that. What's the matter child?"

"Would you sit and talk for a moment?" she asked.

He settled across the table from her gracefully, long years of kneeling making his movements like a well-rehearsed dance. "What's wrong?"

"Rei isn't sleeping," Usagi said. "She's not here at all."

Panic swept across Grandfather's face and Usagi's heart clenched. She knew his only child, Rei's mother, had died in childbirth when Rei was nearly six. The girl had lived with him ever since and was the only family he had left.

"We've been keeping a secret from you," Usagi said, "but it's time you knew the truth."

There was a fierce look in his eyes as he watched her, and she hoped he would not hate her for what was coming. "Rei, Ami, Makoto, and I are Sailor Senshi," she said, bluntly. "We've been fighting against the Negaverse for some time. Recently there have been problems between us and the group split, but we were hoping to reconcile. Tonight, my group, which includes Tuxedo Kamen, and several new fighters, was overwhelmed. Rei's group came to help. She was taken. I plan to get her back. I haven't decided exactly how, but I will not rest until she is safely home with you again."

Usagi felt her heart break as emotions ran across the old man's face. Shock, anger, acceptance, worry, and despair. "She's Sailor Mars, isn't she?"

Usagi nodded. "She is. She's an incredibly strong and powerful warrior, and she won't be broken easily. I have recently rescued two of the Dark Generals, and they can help me infiltrate and bring her out."

There was a long silence as Grandfather Hino digested her words. He seemed to be on the verge of tears, and she didn't know what to do. She'd never thought of making a visit like this. She'd never thought one of her friends might be taken. She couldn't imagine what she would do if one of them died.

"Do the other parents know?" he asked.

Usagi shook her head. "Luna, she's our advisor, always said it would put all of you in more danger if you knew. We argued with her about it, but in the end, we thought it would be better to protect all of you."

He made a strange sound but nodded his head. "I need some sake," he muttered.

Usagi lurched to her feet and went into the kitchen to grab a bottle and small cup for him. She poured the drink and handed it to him.

He drank it quickly and put the cup on the table. "What do you need from me?" he asked after a long silence.

"I was hoping you could call Rei out of school for a few days and not put up missing signs. I don't know how soon we will be able to move, but I want to get her back as quickly as possible. I know we've fought lately, but she's my friend. No. She's my sister, and I will bring her home!" Usagi felt a fierce need inside to see Rei.

"I believe you child," Grandfather said, looking directly into her eyes. "I think you have the strength of will to do this thing. I will search the fire for you."

"The girls and I will come and do Rei's chores for her until she gets back."

"No!" Grandfather Hino nearly shouted the word. His tone gentled when he continued. "No Usagi-chan. You and the others need to focus on bringing… bringing my Rei home to me."

"Yes Hino-sama." She bowed low in both respect and sorrow, promising herself she would bring Rei home quickly.

The old man picked up the bottle and poured himself another cup of sake. Usagi wanted to stop him, but knew she had no right. She shook her head and went around the table to give him a hug before putting her shoes on and making her way out of the house.

The night seemed darker than ever as she trudged wearily toward her house. Clouds had rolled in, hiding the stars, and the moon. Usagi wanted to throw herself onto the ground and weep like a child. Her mind conjured image after image of the fight. Mars throwing an attack at Kamen. The look of horror on her face when she saw what she had done. The strange moment that seemed to hang forever when Zoicite had grabbed her from behind. The knowledge in her eyes when she had dropped her henshin wand.

All of it bundled together into Usagi's mind. She hardly noticed the tears streaming down her face. It seemed to take enormous effort just to put one foot in front of the other and continue the walk. She had to remain strong. She had to plan her course of action. She had to bring Rei back.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
"Where were you?" Shingo asked as Usagi climbed in through her bedroom window.

She looked up in surprise to see her brother, as well as Mamoru and Haruki. She lurched forward and was caught by Mamoru as she stumbled. She began to sob, her body shaking with it, as she clung to him. It took several long minutes to calm herself enough to speak.

"I had to protect Rei's identity," she said finally, sitting on the edge of the bed. Haruki made his way over and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She leaned against her cousin with a grateful sigh, and then opened her arms when Shingo came to hug her as well. "I told Grandfather what I could and promised to bring her home. He's going to call her out of school and he won't make a fuss about her being missing. It was the only plan I could think of."

"We were worried," Mamoru admitted. "One minute you were right next to me, and then you were gone. Venus was about to send us searching when I explained I could sense you. She wanted me to track you down, but I felt like you needed some time."

"I did," Usagi nodded. "I had to decide how much to tell Grandfather, and I needed a chance to think it through."

"I wish you hadn't gone alone," Shingo said quietly. "But I understand."

Usagi gave him a small smile. "I'm sorry. I guess… it hit me hard. We argued the last time we spoke, and I… it was just a bit overwhelming."

"It wasn't your fault she was taken Usako," Mamoru murmured, touching her cheek gently and turning her face to look at him. She stared into his eyes. He truly believed his own words. She nodded, but she wasn't convinced. If she hadn't left the group, perhaps things might have been different. But she would never know.

"What we need is a plan," Usagi said. "We have to figure out how to get her back."

"Well, we do have Kunzite and Nephrite, and I'm sure they will tell us everything they know."

"It might not be enough," Usagi said, a frown crossing her face. "What if they've added new security measures because they are on our side now?" There were too many variables she had no control over. "Should only one or two of us go in and break her free, or should it be an all-out assault? Should we go instantly, or wait a few days until they let their guard down? What do we need to get there? How do we approach? It's all too much."

"Not really," a voice said, coming through the window. Kunzite stepped into the room, followed by Minako.

Usagi started and stared at him in shock. She hadn't heard them coming.

"It's not too much. We'll help you." Kunzite hugged her before looking for a place to sit.

"Are you alright Usagi-chan?" Minako asked.

She could only nod, staring at the other blonde who was her near mirror-image. There were no words for everything she was feeling. She still hadn't had a chance to process that Minako was both Sailor Venus, and the infamous Sailor V. It was obvious Minako had known who Usagi was, probably before they even met.

Two cats followed the blonde into the bedroom. Luna, and a white cat with the same crescent marking on the forehead. "This is Artemis. He is my guardian; the way Luna is yours."

"Hi," Usagi said, her voice cracking. 

"Hello Usagi," the cat said. His voice was deep and soothing. "Hello Mamoru, Shingo, Haruki. I'm sorry, but I didn't want to wait until morning to meet you, and Minako rather thought you shouldn't be alone tonight." The cat shook his head. "I did tell her the others might come, but I don't think she believed me."

Minako glared at the cat and stuck her tongue out. For some reason the absurd act made Usagi feel better. The new arrivals found spots on the floor and sat. Kunzite frowned as he looked at her and Usagi wondered if he blamed her for what had happened.

"Is this a private party?" another voice asked, and Usagi turned to see Makoto, Ami, and Nephrite peering in through the window. A moment later they had climbed through. There was absolutely no room left once all of them were inside. Mamoru plucked her up and held her in his lap so that Ami could sit on the bed.

"I'm glad you're all here," Usagi said, a small sigh escaping in spite of herself. "Although it might be better if we do meetings at the command center from now on," she added, seeing how everyone was cramped in the small space. Her bedroom seemed so much bigger when it was just her inside.

"My mother is at work and I didn't want to be alone," Ami said quietly. "I went to see Makoto and apparently Nephrite had the same idea. But then we realized the others would come to make sure you were alright, and we wanted to see you."

"It's okay Ami. Really." Usagi sighed. "I went to visit Grandfather to make sure he knew what was happening. I couldn't take the chance he would put up fliers and have the Negaverse learn who Rei was."

"I don't understand why she dropped the pen," Makoto said.

"Because she wasn't sure what I did would be enough. She didn't want to risk us having to face her in battle." Usagi said.

Minako nodded. "She was protecting all of you."

Ami held the pen in her palms, staring down at it. "I know you've had problems with her Usagi," she said, "but Rei really loves you."

The words sounded exactly like what Grandfather Hino had told her. Usagi bit her lip in thought. She knew there was more to the situation, but until she and Rei could speak there was nothing to do but hope and work to bring her home.

"So what's the plan?" Shingo looked at Usagi as though she had all the answers. She knew this was one time when she couldn't let any of them down.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Saturday  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Inside a secret command center the group of heroes and their allies met. Motoki was upset over the missing girl. Like he had with the others, he had taken Rei on as an honorary little sister, and in spite of recent troubles, Usagi knew he cared as deeply for Rei in his own way as Usagi and the others. Naru hadn't said anything yet and she wondered what the girl was thinking.

She met Mamoru's eyes and he instantly made his way to her, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and pulling her against his chest. No plans had been finalized the night before. She and the others had talked over several possibilities, but she knew ultimately the decision of how to proceed was hers.

Usagi frowned and sat down at the conference table. It was a new addition to the command center and she wondered where it had come from. "I think the easiest way is to sneak in and grab her, then sneak back out. We only need one or two people for that."

Minako shook her head. "You aren't going in alone." Her arms were crossed over her chest and she looked fierce, and slightly annoyed.

Usagi sighed. "I didn't say I would." She didn't mention that she had several plans that included that very scenario. She'd made and discarded dozens of plans but kept coming back to the knowledge that they weren't yet ready to confront Metallia, or even Queen Beryl, head on. No, they needed stealth.

Minako gave her a look and Usagi wondered if the other blonde could read her mind, or if she was just considering what she would do if it was up to her. In any case, Usagi was the acknowledged leader of the Senshi, and Mamoru the acknowledged leader of the Shitennou and Shingo. It was just how it had to be. Everyone needed to know what they were doing, and someone had to give the orders.

Kunzite pulled Minako to the side and the two of them talked in whispers for several minutes before he turned back to Usagi. "Pri-" he cut off and cleared his throat. "Usagi, I think perhaps it would be best if I accompanied you. We can be in and out before anyone is the wiser. I know my way around and I am quite good in a fight."

Mamoru cleared his throat behind her. "Actually, I think it would be best if I went with her. The two of us have fought together so long it's as though we can almost read one another's minds. I always know when she is in danger, and I can tell she does the same for me."

"Why does she need to go in at all?" Shingo asked. "Surely someone else can make the trip instead." When Usagi looked at him he shrugged. "What, the leaders shouldn't go," he said.

Naru frowned and stood. "I might not be one of you, but I've seen plenty of what Usagi can do. I know she's capable if she has to go."

Haruki shook his head. "I understand that, but Shingo has a point. Usagi and Mamoru should stay here and send in someone else." 

Usagi shook her head. She hadn't even decided if it was to be a two-person team yet, and she wasn't going to decide in that very moment. What she needed was information. She had loaded the maps given to her into the Moon Computer, and for the first time she was using the feature to put an image out for everyone to see.

"What I want to know right now," she said, changing the subject, "is where they would be holding her. Would she be in the cells or in one of those coffin-things?"

"More than likely they would be trying to turn her," Nephrite said. "It could take days and it will be a great drain on Metallia's energy."

Usagi nodded. "Show me exactly where the chambers would be, and the cells too," she added thoughtfully. "They might be trying to extract information first. If I remember correctly they took your memories when you were turned. I'm sure they would want to question her before that happened.

Kunzite stood and marked the locations. His approval was obvious in the way he looked at her. She was grateful he thought she was doing well. All she could think about was getting Rei back without anyone else being put into danger.

Naru had to leave to meet Umino, but came to give Usagi a hug, and a warning to be careful. Usagi promised and turned back to her work. She had to save Rei.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
"I think we should still go out tonight," Mamoru said, his voice low.

Usagi turned to look at him, her heart stuttering a little. How could he think of their date when Rei was missing? She opened her mouth to respond but he covered it with his hand.

"Hear me out before you argue," Mamoru said, his tone gentle as he stroked her face. "First, you don't want your parents realizing anything is wrong. Second, there will never be a time when there are no troubles. We have to carve out a few moments to stop fighting and be ourselves. Finally, I think a change of scene will do you good right about now." He stopped for a moment, then blushed. "And, yes, also because I just want to spend some time alone with you. I won't apologize for it."

Usagi opened her mouth again but was forestalled when Minako came over and interrupted. "I think Mamoru is right Usagi. We've talked this to death and there is nothing we can do right now. For tonight you just need time to rest and relax."

Usagi looked around at the others in the room, realizing that in spite of his caution, Mamoru's words had been heard by everyone. She sighed and looked back at him. She wasn't sure what the right answer was. It was true she wanted to be with him, but she didn't want a cloud of misery and worry overshadowing their date either.

"I think you should go," Ami said, giving her a small smile. "It will give you a chance to decide who is going with you," she added.

Usagi sighed again and nodded. She could almost feel the atmosphere in the room change. What she noticed was relief. Why would they feel so relieved? And then it hit her. They thought she was going to go alone, tonight. She shook her head. It wasn't completely out of the realm of possibility, but she would much rather have one of them at her back just in case.

She said nothing about it however, and simply turned toward Mamoru. "Is there a dress code?" she asked.

"Comfortable," he answered smoothly, pulling her back into his arms and lowering his lips to hers. His tongue was insistent as he pressed into her mouth and her whole body seemed to hum at the action of kissing him. When they parted, she stared up at him in wonder. She'd never known she could feel so good with a simple kiss. Her breath came in short gasps as she lost herself in his eyes.

It took a moment and giving herself a mental shake before she could turn, rather unsteadily, and look at the girls. "I'm going to go home and get ready then. Anyone want to come?" She knew the answer of course, before anyone spoke.

Ami, Makoto, and Minako leaped up and hurried to her. Within moments they were practically dragging her out of the arcade. She hid her smirk. They were not going to leave her alone for a moment. Instead of being annoyed, she was grateful. They obviously cared.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Mamoru pulled up in front of the house in a shiny red sports car. Usagi knew the moment he arrived because Shingo and Haruki both made a huge deal about the car in loud voices. She shook her head. Boys could be strange. Neither of them had shown any really interest in cars before, but as soon as a red sports car pulled in, they were staring at it like it was the last piece of chocolate cake.

Minako laughed as she ran the brush through Usagi's hair a final time. She'd changed the style for the evening, and though Usagi wasn't sure it was the best idea to leave so much hanging loose, she had to admit it looked beautiful. Minako had taken one strand and braided it into a crown and added little hair clips that looked like butterflies as well as a couple of flowers.

Usagi's biggest concern was getting her hair caught under her feet and tripping. She was wearing flats, which added nothing to her height, but she had chosen them because it was rather dangerous for a klutz to wear heels. Makoto and Ami had chosen her outfit. She wore a pair of bright pink leggings under a matching skirt. The top was emblazoned with roses, which Usagi thought was perfect considering who her date was. She had rosebud earrings in her ears and a matching necklace and ring. It was a beautiful set, but she was worried she might damage it.

She made her way to the bedroom door, but Minako hauled her back. "No!" the other girl hissed. "You are supposed to make him wait!"

"Why?" Usagi asked, genuinely curious.

"So he can see you come down the stairs. You have to get the reaction."

Usagi snorted. "Seriously, he's never seen me this dressed up before. I'm sure he'll be happy with it."

Minako shook her head. "It's not about that," she giggled. "If you look at his face as you go down the stairs, then you get to see his jaw drop," she explained.

"Oh." Usagi smiled at the idea of a speechless Mamoru with his mouth on the floor. "Okay then. How long should I wait."

"Until your mother calls you downstairs. She's a woman. She knows."

Usagi looked at Minako in a new light. Perhaps her friend could be a fount of useful dating information. She waited another minute before she heard her mother's voice, and then tiptoed to the top of the stairs. Sure enough, she could see Mamoru's shoes. He must be sitting on the couch. Slowly and carefully she walked down the stairs, her little silver slippers in her hand.

Seeing Mamoru's reaction was more than worth the wait. He sat with a bunch of pink roses in his hand, on the couch next to her father. When he caught sight of her his jaw dropped open and his eyes widened. Usagi even noticed his nostrils flare. She giggled as she approached.

"Hi. Sorry to keep you waiting."

"Huh?" he asked, sounding a little confused. "I mean no. I mean…" he blushed. "You look beautiful."

"You look great too," Usagi said honestly. He was wearing khaki pants with a black button up shirt and a crisp white t-shirt underneath, barely visible. She smiled at him. He'd even tried to make his hair behave. It hadn't worked, but she appreciated the attempt. What she noticed most was how good he smelled. He always smelled of coffee and roses, but today the smell of roses was actually muted by another scent, one she couldn't name, but that made her want to curl up into his arms.

He gave her a chaste kiss, promised to have her home by 11:30, and after she had smelled the roses and passed them to her mother, he led her out the door. As soon as it closed behind them, Usagi knew that everyone in the house was already peeking out the windows. She grinned and let Mamoru lead her to the car.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Mamoru led her into a restaurant lit by dim lights and filled with light romantic music. He held her hand as they were led to their table and even held her chair for her. It made Usagi feel special and cared for. Though she couldn't get the upcoming rescue completely out of her mind, she did try to enjoy herself and to give Mamoru her attention.

At first conversation faltered a bit. She bit her lip after he attempted to talk about their school work. Then he brought up the subject of her father. Neither were subjects she thought entirely wonderful for a first date. Then he asked what types of music she liked, and the conversation took off. Usagi was a very eclectic music lover. She enjoyed classical, pop, rock, and all sorts of music.

"I can generally find at least one song in a genre that I like," she leaned closer to him, "but I have to confess I'm not a huge fan of jazz."

Mamoru smirked at her and Usagi thought she might melt into a puddle in her soup bowl. For some reason the look which had once made her nearly insane with anger and irritation, now made her want to kiss him until he couldn't speak. She giggled at the thought.

Turning the question around, she asked what music he loved and was surprised to find his tastes varied nearly as much as her own. "I can't stand rap," he admitted. There wasn't much in Japan, but they'd both heard enough to discuss various pieces.

"What's your favorite instrument?" Usagi asked.

"Violin," he answered immediately. "Yours."

"The voice." She grinned at him when he looked about to argue. "There's this one group. The songs are all in English, but I've heard them before. Anyways, they sing the songs, but they also make the sounds of several instruments with their voices."

As their plates and bowls were taken they moved from music to art and he began discussing artists, some of which she'd never heard of before. They left the restaurant talking about her ideas for creating a manga series, and they were smiling and laughing. She didn't even notice when he didn't drive to her house, but instead headed for one of the outdoor amphitheaters.

They walked down into the seats and he put an arm around her as the musicians began to play. There was a girl with aqua hair playing the violin, accompanied by a boy with short blonde hair playing the piano. The melody was so intricate and beautiful it brought tears to Usagi's eyes. She listened in rapture, every note pulling at her.

A rather melancholy beginning to a song hit a crescendo with notes that were so hopeful and poignant that she wept unashamedly. Somehow the music gave her hope. The particular song was so incredible that she nearly wept again because it ended. In her head she almost saw a story and somehow she linked the music with the attempt to rescue Rei. She wanted to hear the song again and again.

Mamoru brought her forward at the end and they saw a little table set up with CD's. She had a little money in her purse and instantly grabbed for one of them, but Mamoru took it and refused to let her pay. He bought himself a copy as well, and they each tucked one away in their subspace pockets.

The musicians came down from the stage and mingled with the audience. Usagi and Mamoru were just about to leave when the young man who had played piano came and stood in front of them. He looked at them both carefully and gave a small bow.

"I see you enjoyed the music Koneko," he said, and winked at her before waving a hand in the air. The other musician came forward. Her smile was beautiful, and she bowed as well.

Usagi found herself enjoying light conversation with them for several minutes. "I'm Michiru," said the girl with aqua hair. "This is Haruka."

She looked at the boy again and grinned. It wasn't a boy at all but a girl wearing boys clothing. She smiled at her and leaned back against Mamoru, who had apparently begun to feel threatened and wrapped his arms around her from behind.

"I'm so glad to have met you," Usagi said honestly. "There was one song you played," she swallowed. "I'll just say it gave me hope." She brushed away a stray tear.

"There is always hope Koneko," the blonde said, then took her hand and laid a gentle kiss on the back of it. Usagi heard a low growl from Mamoru and winked at the girl. She let Mamoru lead her away, grinning widely.

They listened to the song again on the drive back to her house and it simply melted Usagi's heart. She knew she would be playing it on repeat that night, because in spite of the enjoyable evening, she had not forgotten her upcoming quest to steal her friend back from the Negaverse.

At the door, Mamoru tugged her into his arms and lifted her chin gently with his hand. "Usako," he whispered, and lowered his mouth to hers in a sweet, loving kiss, with hints of passion and possessiveness. His hands went into her hair and he pulled her even closer. Her own hands fisted in the fabric of his shirt as she explored his mouth. He nipped at her lower lip before they parted and both of them gulped in air.

She blushed and ducked her head, but she was happy.

"Good night little Odango," he said, smiling down at her.

"Good night my baka," she whispered. She raised herself of the tips of her toes to brush a kiss along his jaw, then hurried into the house.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Sunday  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She was awake early the next morning. She had showered and changed before anyone else was up, and by the time the others were stirring she had listened to her new favorite song dozens of times, as well as every other song on the CD. She heard a knock on her door.

"Come in."

"Usagi, do you think you could run to the store for me?" Kenji asked, frowning as he came into her bedroom. "Your mother wants to make sushi tonight and I promised I would get what she needs, but I just got called in to work."

Usagi nodded, smiling at her father. "Of course," she promised. "Do you have the list?"

Her father handed it over as well as enough yen to purchase what was needed. "Thanks, Usagi. It doesn't have to be right this minute. Obviously," he added. "But it's tonight's dinner, so try to get it this morning."

"I think I will go now," Usagi said. She had no clue what would happen and wanted it done so she didn't have to worry about it later. "It's beautiful out. Perfect time for a walk."

"Good idea," her father said, and kissed her forehead.

"Are Shingo and Haruki up yet?" she asked.

Her father shook his head. "I think they were up late planning a prank or something. I just checked and they're both still asleep. You've been forewarned," he added, grinning.

"Thanks dad."

"I'll see you tonight."

"Bye daddy," she whispered.

It only took a moment to find her purse and she immediately headed out. It really was a beautiful morning. Her mind wasn't on the weather though. She wanted her plans firm in her mind before they went to the Dark Kingdom. They would go late, shortly after midnight. She had looked over the sketches Nephrite and Kunzite had completed dozens of times the night before and had worked out every detail in her mind.

She had several ideas for getting Rei out unnoticed. Her henshin wand was in Usagi's subspace pocket. The only issue was choosing who would go in with her. Kunzite insisted it should be himself, while Mamoru argued he should be the one. Usagi wasn't sure. Kunzite knew the Negaverse, but she and Mamoru worked best together. It was a difficult decision to make.

Usagi sighed and sped her walk. She needed to hurry up and get everything purchased and back home in the refrigerator before she could meet with the others. She hadn't decided when to call the meeting, but she thought it would be best to do it right after she returned. Saving Rei was her top priority at the moment, and she would do whatever it took.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Usagi was just outside the grocery store when her senses went on alert. Within seconds the Moon Computer beeped. She raced to the nearest alley and hid to henshin and tuck the bags of food into her subspace pocket. Then she jumped to the roof of the building and peered down, seeing Dark General Jadeite standing below with a single Youma at his side.

He looked up as soon as she moved and a second later he was standing next to her on the roof, staring at her.

"Heal me!" Jadeite said, throwing himself in front of Sailor Moon. She watched, startled, as he waved his hand and the Youma disappeared. "You have to help me," Jadeite continued, his voice pleading. "If Rei doesn't turn within three days the queen will have her killed!"

Sailor Moon was confused. She hadn't thought Jadeite would have cared. She hadn't once gotten close enough to touch him with healing, so she didn't understand his need to save Rei. And how did he know her name? Rei never would have told. None of that mattered, however. She would grasp at any straw she could find.

Sailor Moon didn't hesitate. She simply pulled the Moon Wand and faced him, holding it between her hands. "Moon Healing Escalation." The words were quiet, but her full will was behind them. She watched the silvery light sink into him and knew the darkness was being pulled out. Like the others he clutched at his chest, obviously in pain.

The change was immediate in him. His eyes changed to a light blue, glittering with emotion. His uniform became a light grey, nearly white, and the sword at his side changed to silver and gold. The strange, unhealthy tinge to his skin disappeared almost instantly.

Sailor Moon reached out and put a hand on his forehead. She made the same wish for him that she'd made for the others. 'Keep him free of the dark energy. Don't let him be turned again and protect him from the influence of the Negaverse.' He met her eyes, looking sad.

"I love her," he whispered.

She was overwhelmed with shock and awe. "How?" she asked.

Jadeite frowned. "I met her months ago, watched her from afar. Remembered her… I didn't know she was a Senshi…"

Sailor Moon gulped, her heart breaking for him. She could see the ragged emotions on his face, the way he clenched his jaw, and that his fists were clenched tightly together.

"I'm going to save her," Sailor Moon promised.

"I can help you," Jadeite said. "I know where she is, and what is guarding her."

"How do we get in?" she asked. She was willing to accept his help.

"We have to go now," he said, lowering his voice. "The queen will know soon enough that she can't control me anymore."

Sailor Moon pulled her disguise pen from her subspace pocket. She gave him a grim smile as she removed her communicator and put it away in the same space. "Take my hand," she said. Once he had her in his grip she spoke again. "Luna Disguise Pen, make us invisible."

A moment later she felt a pressure and closed her eyes instinctively. When she opened them again she found herself in the Dark Kingdom.


	12. Rescue

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Sunday  
(continued)  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After she and Jadeite appeared in the Negaverse, Sailor Moon could only hope to get out quickly and quietly.

It was dark, damp, and cold. Youma were all over the place; in dark alcoves and behind wooden doors or moldy curtains. Moisture lined the walls, and in some areas green things appeared to grow in the cracks between the stones. In other places there were splashes of strange red-black liquid that could be blood or anything else. The smell of rot and decay permeated the air with a sickly sweet odor.

Sailor Moon shuddered in horror. Nothing had prepared her for the horrors she saw. Jadeite had said they had to move quickly. Still, she wished she'd had time to call for Mamoru, despite the fact that getting three people through undetected would be more difficult. Still, it would have been nice to hide her face in his chest and not look at anything.

At least she wasn't alone.

Jadeite held her hand, guiding her with faint tugs and small movements. Several times they were forced to press their backs against the cold, damp stone walls to hide as Youma or Generals passed. As they grew closer to the Queen's Chambers, Sailor Moon could tell things were kept cleaner and brighter. Candles and torches lit the spaces they passed, and there were fewer stains. They had to walk by the doors to the throne room, and for the minute or so they were close to it, she was sure she didn't breathe once.

Sailor Moon noted there were several Generals she had never seen before. One, a man with long red hair, almost seemed to see them, but then shook his head and moved on. He was muttering under his breath about an upstart, and she wondered what he was talking about. Another seemed to be a girl who was also red-haired, but hid from the Youma as much as they did.

She didn't dare let out a sigh of relief when they made it back into the hidden places.

Jadeite pulled her into a small room and closed the door behind them. "We're past the worst of it. Once we get to her we can get out much quicker than we got in. We have to wait here for just a moment," he whispered, close to her ear. "Soon there will be a group of Youma that will pass. After they've gone we have to make our way down the corridor to the stairs and go down two levels."

"Okay," Sailor Moon whispered. "West Knight," she added. She could hear his startled intake of breath. "That's who you were meant to be. Don't ask me how I know. I couldn't tell you."

He nodded and smiled, but shushed her, and she was grateful as a moment later they could hear the passage of what seemed to be hundreds of feet. It probably wasn't that many, but it felt as though there were dozens at least.

They waited nearly five minutes after the passage of the creatures before West Knight slowly opened the door and they slid their way back into the passage. She shuddered as the chilly air touched her skin. She hadn't expected it to be so damp and cold. Sailor Moon followed him slowly down the corridor and to the spiral staircase that led down.

There were only two candles on the route down the stairs, but she didn't complain. The darkness would conceal them as much as the invisibility granted by the Disguise Pen. Their footsteps were barely audible, though each time she heard the dirt crunching against stone she felt her fear increase. They needed total silence, but it was impossible.

Sailor Moon's mind filled with crazy ideas about pretending to be Youma instead of remaining invisible. She didn't speak however, knowing absolute silence was the only thing she could hope for. The stairs seemed to go on for an eternity, but eventually they reached the bottom and hid themselves in a shadowed alcove.

She felt West Knight put his hands around one of her ears and he whispered so quietly she barely heard his words. "Down this corridor, then we take the left fork to the end. Once there, we will find a Youma guarding the chambers. She is in the third one. There are no alarms, but the Youma does not answer to any of the Generals. It only obeys the queen. Remember, we can't teleport until we get back to the top of the stairs, so we mustn't alert anyone to our presence."

Sailor Moon nodded to let him know she had heard.

He carefully moved, pulling her with him. Need welled within her, to save Rei, to see Mamoru's face again, to breathe fresh air. She knew West Knight needed her to get Rei out. It wasn't something he could do on his own, but she felt nervous. He was an unknown fighter. Though she was certain he was on her side, she didn't know all of his abilities or his strengths, other than that he was a master of disguise. That particular strength was all she could rely on at the moment.

It seemed to take a year to reach the end of the corridor. A century to continue to the door at the end of the forked passage. They stopped in front of the heavy steel door and Sailor Moon pulled out the Moon Wand. She sucked in a breath, waiting for the moment to strike. She could feel heat welling up in her, as it had done when she'd used her Twilight Flash attack for the first time, and again when she had spoken Moon Healing Escalation at great need.

As soon as the door was open a few inches Sailor Moon pushed the tip of the Moon Wand into the open space and whispered the words that came to her. She had never spoken them before, but something led her to say, "Moonlit Lullaby," and she could feel the power of the attack working. A soft thump followed and she knew the Youma had dropped, passed out.

West Knight pushed the door open and she followed him inside. Instantly she could see a purple glow filling the room. It was a sickly color rather than beautiful and she wanted to gag at the smells. The little chambers inside really did look like coffins. He pulled her along in his wake, hurrying to the third chamber. He looked carefully around before he put her hand on one side of the lid and then he was pushing at the other end.

She could see Rei through the purple-toned glass. Her eyes were closed, but her forehead was scrunched as though she was in great pain. Sailor Moon knew whatever she was seeing and feeling must be horrific. She nearly urged Jadeite to hurry before she remembered their goal was to get in and out again without being noticed.

There was a loud creak as the coffin-like chamber opened. Sailor Moon shivered, feeling repulsed by the wave of dark energy that came out of it as the lid sprang up. Her hand went inside, and she touched Rei's cheek. She was cold to the touch. The girl began to shift in place and Sailor Moon realized West Knight was lifting her up and into his arms. She put a hand on Rei's forehead and lifted the Moon Wand again. "Moon Healing Escalation," she whispered.

A moment later the disguise pen was out, and she covered Rei in invisibility. Their cover would be blown if someone saw her floating down the hallway. She heard her stirring and knew she might panic. That had to be avoided. Quickly she found Rei's hand and pressed the henshin wand into it.

"Rei, it's me. We are rescuing you. Stay silent. We're all invisible. We have to hurry."

The whispered words seemed to calm the girl and a moment later she was on her feet. Sailor Moon felt the power as she transformed and then took her hand and West's. He began pulling them back the way they had come.

"If we get separated, get to the top of the stairs and teleport out of here," West Knight said in a hushed tone.

"We can't teleport yet," she whispered frantically.

"Picture the safest place you can think of and focus on being there. If both of you work together you can to it. I'll get to you as soon as I can."

"If you have to find us again, go to the place where you met me today," Usagi said. "That's where I will find you and bring you back to the others."

"Okay. Let's go."

Passing the sleeping Youma, they made it to the door and Sailor Moon peered out. Nothing stirred on the other side and she breathed a sigh of relief. She felt Rei shaking behind her, and squeezed her hand gently in reassurance. They crept out silently.

They made it to the end of the corridor before they were met by several Youma who seemed to be searching for something. Very carefully they skirted around them. It was a slow process, and they stayed silent, hardly moving an inch at a time. Sailor Moon felt ill. Nerves and worry filled her. Sailor Mars' hand was clutching hers tightly. West's was loose and somewhat sweaty, and she worried she would lose her grip on him. She instinctively tightened her hold.

At the stairs two Youma blocked the way. With a whisper, Sailor Moon put them to sleep with her newest attack. They slumped together, blocking the path, but West pulled them to the side and a moment later they were climbing the steps into ever growing darkness.

She'd felt the way took forever before, but it was nothing compared to the climb back up. It was steep and dark, and there would be no warning if a Youma appeared in the darkness. Sailor Moon felt herself shivering in the damp. The climb seemed endless.

A whisper of sound was their only warning. Something flew at them out of the shadows and she felt a sting along her cheek as she ducked, pulling Sailor Mars down with her. West Knight released her hand and shoved both of them ahead of him. "Get her out," he whispered.

Sailor Moon wanted to argue but he pushed them both repeatedly. She stumbled and staggered up the stairs, pulled almost as much by Mars as she was pushed by West. She held back tears and sobs by imagining Mamoru's face. She had to see him again, even if only so he could yell at her.

When they reached the top of the stairs the way was blocked by dozens of Youma. Sailor Moon wanted to scream. There was no way they could get past all of them. But then she felt West Knight wrap one of his arms around her waist, and felt Mars tugged closer to her until it felt like they were being pressed into the same space. There was a moment of intense pressure and she closed her eyes and breathed.

It took a second to realize they were no longer in the Negaverse.

She blinked her eyes several times to adjust to the light. She didn't know exactly where she was, but there were trees everywhere and she could hear a stream. A moment later it hit her. They were just beyond the Jinja, close to the family dwelling. She'd been there dozens of times with the other girls. She knew every inch of the Jinja. She knew every building, every flower and tree.

She released the invisibility and turned to check over Sailor Mars. Automatically, Sailor Moon ran her hands over her arms and shoulders and looked for any sign of injury. "Are you okay? You aren't hurt?"

Mars shook her head, eyes wide as she stared back at Sailor Moon. She had large dark circles under her eyes and looked as though she had seen things that were awful. "How?" she asked in a cracking voice.

"Release first, you're safe," she said, and let her henshin go. Mars and West copied her.

"Okay, first, don't be mad, but I had to tell your grandfather, so he wouldn't put up fliers or call the police. I couldn't let the Negaverse figure out your identity."

Rei only nodded, staying silent.

"Second, this is Jadeite. Obviously. I healed him a little while ago when he came and asked for my help to save you." A frown creased Rei's forehead and she stared at Jadeite, obviously unsure what to make of the request. Usagi wasn't done, however. "The two of us snuck in to rescue you. Mamoru and Kunzite are going to be pissed, but we had to go almost the minute I healed him."

"Okay…" Rei continued to stare at Jadeite.

Usagi pulled her communicator out of her subspace pocket. It was beeping already, and she opened it to see the symbol for Earth glowing. She pressed the button to see Tuxedo Kamen glaring at her. "I'm on my way," he growled. "Don't leave the shine!" It was an order, and Usagi felt a shiver run down her spine at the obvious rage he was feeling.

"Wait, why is he so angry? Didn't he know you were coming to rescue me?" Rei asked, sounding confused and a little hurt.

"He did know I was planning on it, but we were going to wait until tonight. It's just… Jadeite said we had to hurry." Usagi hurried to reassure her. "They wanted to save you just as much as I did."

"Oh."

"Kunzite and Mamoru were arguing about who was going with me, but Jadeite seemed like the best choice."

"Why him?" Rei asked, looking back at him again.

Usagi turned to him and he shook his head imperceptibly. She wouldn't betray his feelings, but she had to tell the girl something. "He knew where you were and was told if you didn't turn within three days you would be killed."

"Why now? I've been in that thing for weeks," Rei said, and shuddered. "As soon as they realized I wouldn't talk, couldn't talk, they put me in there."

"Weeks?" Usagi shook her head. "Rei, you've only been gone a couple days."

"What?" the word came out as a shriek. "It felt like a month!"

Jadeite was nodding as Rei spoke. "It's meant to. The chamber makes you think no one is coming to save you. Then it takes all your good memories…" he shuddered.

"Come on, lets get both of you inside. Grandfather is worried sick."

Usagi led them to the shrine and knew the moment Grandfather spotted Rei. He was working in the garden and let out a cry of shock before dropping his rake and running at the girl. Tears sprang to her eyes as she watched him cling to her, sobbing her name. They both sank to the ground.

"My precious girl," he murmured. "My baby. My Rei!"

Usagi heard an intake of breath from Jadeite. It was her only warning as a black cloaked hero stormed to her and grabbed her into his arms. He shook her, then crushed her against his chest, holding her too tight. She struggled for breath but didn't fight him.

"What the hell were you thinking? Kami Usako, you could have been killed, or captured, or lost forever! Why would you go alone? Why? Didn't you trust me to have your back?" He was shaking her again, and it made her teeth rattle.

She couldn't talk as he continued his tirade for several long minutes, only stopping when Jadeite put a hand on his arm. "She didn't go alone," he said. She could feel the shock. And see it. In a second Mamoru was standing where Tuxedo Kamen had been, still holding her tightly, staring at Jadeite.

"What happened?" he asked.

Jadeite began explaining, leaving out the part about him being in love with Rei, but telling everything else that had happened. Grandfather Hino gasped at several parts of the story, but Mamoru stood almost silently, his hands clutching Usagi convulsively. When they came to the Youma attacking them on the stairs his grip tightened until she could only squeak in hopes that he would let her breathe.

Mamoru grunted and stared down at her before setting her on her feet. "I'm sorry," he murmured, but pulled her up against him, apparently unable to let her go completely.

"I didn't mean to upset you Mamo-chan. It's just… I knew I only had one shot…"

He continued to glare and frown, but she could tell he wasn't quite as angry as he had been before. She hoped he understood why she had gone when she did, and knew it wasn't about not trusting him or Kunzite. Jadeite had begged for her help and she'd given it. That was all. She wanted to explain everything, but she wasn't sure what to say.

There was no chance as the shrine was inundated with teenage heroes a moment later. She wasn't sure she could handle anger from all of them at once and tried to back away. Mamoru apparently sensed her fear and picked her up again, pulling away from the others and disappearing into the trees. She gasped as he henshined with her held in his arms and leapt to a branch and then another and another, taking her away.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Usagi gulped as she stared at Mamoru. She was sitting on his couch, her fingers tucked under her thigh as he paced back and forth in front of her. He hadn't spoken in what felt like an eternity, and Usagi was sure he was very angry with her in spite of his smiles to her mother when he'd gone with her to drop off the food for dinner and to ask if Usagi could go out with him for a while.

Ikuko had been quite accommodating, and so here Usagi sat, wondering when he would speak, and what he was going to say. His anger was like a living thing in the room with them. She could hear occasional growls coming from his direction, and she could see the way his fists were clenched until his knuckles had turned white.

She bit her lip in worry. What was going to happen between them? Was he going to break up with her? Did he hate her now? What was he thinking? The near silence was driving her crazy. Usagi wanted to scream. She felt her anxiety growing more intense by the minute.

"Why did you take your communicator off?" Mamoru asked, his question startling her in its suddenness. He hadn't spoken in so long she'd been sure he'd never talk to her again.

"Because if someone called when I was in the Negaverse it would give away my location," Usagi answered, hoping he could understand.

"Why didn't you tell us you were going?" he asked, his voice sounding desperate.

"I knew people would argue and it sounded like if we didn't leave right away the advantage would be lost."

"What advantage?"

"I healed Jadeite less than three minutes before we left," Usagi explained.

"You could have told me!" Mamoru shouted, startling her. She leaned back at the sound of his yell, staring at him in shock. He didn't seem to notice. His pacing hadn't stopped.

"Were you alone?" Usagi asked, hoping she hadn't grossly miscalculated.

He shook his head. "No. Kunzite and Nephrite were here."

Usagi sighed in relief. That's what she had thought at the time. Otherwise she might have called him. "That's why," she said, keeping her voice calm. She understood he was hurt, but she wasn't a child and had often faced Youma alone.

He stopped pacing and turned to stare at her, his eyes still angry. "Do you realize you could have been hurt, or killed, and I…" he cut off and turned away.

Usagi wasn't sure what to say or do. She didn't want him to be mad at her, but she wasn't sorry for what she had done, or even how she had done it. The only reason she felt sorry at all was for upsetting him, and the others. But it wasn't enough to make her regret her actions. She would have done the same for any of them.

Nor would she promise never to act alone again. She knew, deep down, that he wanted her to. Instead she remained silent, hoping her love for him would be enough. If it wasn't then she would be forced to walk away, heartbroken. She wouldn't make a promise she knew she couldn't keep.

Staring at him wasn't doing anything. She drew her feet up onto the couch and her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms tightly around them, and holding herself, as though that might hold in the pain she was afraid was soon to follow.

"I think I'd die if I lost you now, Usako," he whispered.

Her mouth opened slightly as she stared at the line of his back, the rigid way he held himself, as though the admission had been dragged from him unwillingly. "Mamo-chan. I love you," she said, her heart aching for the pain she'd caused him. "But I can't promise something wont happen to me. I can't promise an easy life. I can't promise not to be in danger. That's what we do..."

She cut off as he fell to his knees in front of her, pulling her legs down so he could rest his head on her thighs. "You love me?" he asked.

"I do. With everything that I am, and I..." she sighed. "I think I might die if I lost you too... but that doesn't mean I will hold you back from what you have to do."

"I love you too, Usako," he whispered, and then he had pulled her off the couch and into his arms. His mouth descended on hers and his arms tightened around her, crushing her to his chest as he devoured her. She felt completely out of control as he grabbed fistfuls of her hair to drag her even closer, as though he wanted to be completely connected.

When he finally lifted his mouth from hers they were both panting. She stared into his eyes. They were dark. Darker than she'd ever seen. His whole body seemed to vibrate with the emotion he barely held in check, and her heart thudded as his lips lowered to hers again, much more slowly.

"Mamo-" she cut off as his lips touched hers a second time, his tongue spearing into her mouth to explore. His hands were fisted, one in her hair, the other at the back of her shirt. She knew he needed reassurance that she was alive, and so she let him take, and take some more. She could tell passion had flared to life in him and didn't know how to respond.

"Usako!" he groaned her name as his lips went to her neck and one hand slid under her shirt to touch the skin on her back. Her body felt like molten lava under his touch. Her heart beat wildly in her chest and she struggled to breathe properly as something fierce welled up within her. Then her hands were in his hair and she was holding him to her until she didn't know where he stopped and she began. Their mouths met and parted again and again as they whispered their love for one another.

Usagi could only hope they had the chance to spend eternity together. Wrapped in his big, strong arms, she felt cherished, loved, and wanted. She nuzzled her nose into his neck and just breathed in the smell of coffee and roses as his arms tightened again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Usagi smiled at Shingo and Haruki as they entered the Crown. Both teens were waiting at the counter, and as soon as she appeared, they rushed to hug her. It took a moment for Mamoru to release her into their arms, but he did. She sighed and let herself sink into Haruki and Shingo, holding them just as tightly as they held her.

"I'm so mad at you," Shingo whispered, "but I forgive you," he added before she could even take a breath to form her response.

"Me too," Haruki seconded. He squeezed her for a short time before he let her go.

Shingo still clung to her for another moment before he too released her. Then Mamoru's arms came around her waist and she was pulled back against him.

"Here's your shake, Usagi-chan," Motoki said, but he glared at her.

"Motoki-onii-san... not you too!" she whimpered, giving him puppy dog eyes. He instantly smiled and reassured her. She grinned at him. He was too easy. He couldn't stay mad at her.

Mamoru silently reminded her that they had a meeting and a moment later they made their way to the Sailor V game. Even though the arcade was full of kids no one noticed four people disappearing in the blink of an eye. There was a glamour over the machine that made people simply forget they had seen them at all.

Tensions were high when Mamoru and Usagi entered the command center. Shingo and Haruki followed them in, making sure no one saw the entrance, and they made their way to the conference table and took chairs to either side of the couple who sat close, hands clasped.

Usagi wondered what had been said or done before she entered the room. Ami and Rei sat close to one another. Makoto sat near them, with Nephrite. Beside him was Kunzite and to his other side sat Minako, who wore a serious frown. Jadeite was standing alone, and Usagi urged him to come and sit with them.

Shingo swiveled his chair, obviously anxious about what was going on, but Haruki seemed to take it all in stride.

"We need to make plans," Mamoru said, his voice strong as he stared around the room. "We have to save Zoicite quickly before the queen hides him from us."

"There are other things we need to discuss first," Ami started, but cut off when Rei touched her arm.

"No Ami," she said, her voice quiet. The few hours that had passed were not enough to erase the dark circles or the haunted look from her eyes. "Trust me when I say every moment there is a million years. We need to save him quick."

Usagi nodded, feeling a corner had been turned. Rei stared at Jadeite and looked at Nephrite and Kunzite differently. There was no hostility in her gaze towards any of them, and only a few days before she hadn't even wanted Nephrite there at the training the other girls shared.

"I have an idea," Usagi said. "It's risky, but I think it could work. It will need all of us working together, as a team."

"What do you propose?" Minako asked, giving her a long look. Usagi smiled at her.

"We call him," she answered.

"I don't think they have telephones in the Negaverse," Ami said, looking skeptical.

Usagi wanted to giggle but maintained her composure. "Not with a phone," she explained. "We go to a safe location, somewhere away from people. Then I will amplify the bond between the Shitennou and they will urge him to come to them."

"You think it will work?" Jadeite asked, his voice strained.

"I do. But I think we need to move quickly. Otherwise the Queen will harm him. She won't want to let us take him."

"You're right," Kunzite said, "but how can we be sure she hasn't already moved against him?"

"We can't," Mamoru said. "But we have to try. I have a location in mind. Kunzite, you said we could teleport without knowing an area. Do you think you could do it if I described a place to you?"

"I do," he said.

Mamoru stood, and Kunzite followed him to a corner near one of the computer banks. Luna and Artemis hopped up onto the table and moved toward their charges. Usagi pulled her companion into her arms, snuggling close. She watched Minako do the same with Artemis and smiled.

"You alright?" Luna asked. "Mamoru was rather… angry."

Usagi nodded. "I explained why I chose to act without him and he understands. It took a bit to calm him, but now he's perfectly happy."

"Good. I've made the mistake of underestimating you before. I told him you'd be back. He was worried, I think."

"He was absolutely terrified," Usagi admitted. "To be honest, so was I, but I couldn't leave Rei there. I just couldn't. I had to take the chance."

"I'm glad you did."

Mamoru and Kunzite called the others and they all moved to the center of the room, forming a rather wobbly circle. Luna sat on Usagi's shoulder, so she could clasp Mamoru's hand in one of hers, and Shingo's in the other. Her brother stayed very close to her, not wanting to let her out of sight.

Usagi closed her eyes and felt the pressure take her as it had before. When she opened them again she stood in the center of a large lawn with rose bushes all around and a large white house beyond them. Tall hedges cut off her view of the landscape beyond the yard and Usagi wondered where the house was.

She knew what it was of course. Mamoru had explained it. She felt his hand tighten around hers and a hint of his pain seeped into her. This place would be his when he reached his twentieth birthday. It had belonged to his parents. She felt Luna leap down to explore and turned to wrap her arms around Mamoru, offering him comfort and all her love.

The others were making sounds of delight, but her attention was focused entirely on the young man she loved and would die for. She held him close and murmured that it was going to be okay. His arms tightened around her and he buried his face in her neck.

"We have to get started," he said finally. Usagi nodded and pulled back slightly, looking into his eyes to make sure he was alright.

"Lets do this," she said and called for the others. The three Shitennou gathered together and knelt in the grass, now transformed. Usagi let her own transformation take her and felt Mamoru do the same. They knelt close to the others, prepared now for what had to happen.

"If anything, or anyone follows him, stop them," Tuxedo Kamen commanded, and then he focused his energy on her.

They had to work together for this task. She felt the power rise up within him and the echo of her own. Using the Moon Wand as a focus, she urged the three men across from them to mentally call for Zoicite. "You have to stress how much you need and want him," she explained.

"Will it work?" Nephrite (East Knight) asked.

"I think it will. We've never done this before, but we've thought it out and we think it is the best way to bring him to us." Usagi met each of their eyes, hoping they could see the truth in hers. She was confident it would in fact bring Zoicite to them.

As the power coursed through her, Sailor Moon felt the call the three men sent out, and amplified it, as well as the bond that connected the men together in their common purpose. A purpose she knew could never be entirely erased, no matter how much dark energy was sunk into them. She focused on that bond and the tie it led to, pulling at it herself to give more reason for Zoicite to appear.

She could feel centuries passing in each second. Time seemed to stretch on forever. She could feel the need in Zoicite to come to them, but something was stopping him. Something prevented him from arriving. She picked at whatever it was, not sure exactly what she was doing, but feeling she was on the right path.

It felt as though something snapped, like a rubber band breaking suddenly, and then there was a rush of energy and light. She was knocked backwards as something huge landed between them all. Opening her eyes, Sailor Moon stared up at a round chamber. Inside, Zoicite stared out, his face and body frozen in a perpetual plea for mercy.

"The Eternal Slumber," North Knight hissed, his voice angry.

Sailor Moon stood, not willing to let the queen get the better of her. She lifted the Moon Wand and spoke without thought. "Moon Crystal Protection Dome," she whispered.

Every eye was drawn to the man inside the prison. Sailor Moon saw the dome form over him, and then she increased the power, making it grow larger and larger until she heard a loud crack and fluid rushed out around their feet in a rush.

Tuxedo Kamen moved forward then and placed a single rose in the large crack that went down the side of the chamber. A moment later vines flowed out from the stem, growing larger and thicker, and they pressed against the chamber walls, spreading it further open until there was enough space for a thin person to crawl out. Zoicite wasn't very large. Neither, for that matter, was Sailor Moon.

She nodded to Kamen to hold the walls open and ducked inside, passing through the dome easily. She put her shoulder under Zoicite's arm, helping him to stand and half dragged him out onto the grass. When he was laid out in the sunlight, Sailor Moon took her wand back out of her subspace pocket, released the dome, and said, "Moon Healing Escalation!"

She watched as the silvery light flowed into Zoicite, healing and changing him. His skin grew healthy, his clothing changed, and when he finally opened his eyes they were a clear, brilliant blue. She knelt at his side and made her wish. 'Please protect Zoicite from Dark Energy so that he can not be turned again. Heal him mentally and physically from his ordeal and help him reconnect with the Shitennou.'

She heard a sound behind her and turned. The other three Shitennou had taken the chamber, whatever it was, and disappeared. She didn't understand exactly what the Eternal Slumber was, but if it was anything near as horrible as those coffins, she was glad it was destroyed. She focused back on Zoicite, brushing his hair back from his face.

"You're alright," she told him. "We've got you now. It's going to be okay."

He stared up at her, his eyes welling with emotions. She couldn't bear to see him cry, so she bent and hugged him to her before helping him sit up. A moment later she was surrounded as the other three appeared and gathered him up. They were murmuring quietly to him, but he continued to stare at her, and when he blinked a tear fell down his cheek.

"Thank you," he said, and then it seemed some sort of emotional dam burst within him because he was sobbing and clinging to his brothers-in-arms.

Sailor Moon stepped back and felt Tuxedo Kamen pull her into his embrace. "It's finished," he murmured.

She shook her head. "Not quite," she reminded him. "We still have to gather the others and defeat that witch," she said, her tone taking on a hard edge as she remembered everything that had been done to the people she cared about. "We will defeat her," she vowed.


	13. Best Laid Plans

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Before we get started, let me just say I am really sorry for the delay in this story. I've had some personal, and computer, issues. I have so much planned for this story, and I am really excited about where it is going. Let me know what you think. I've got to say, most of this chapter sort of came to me spur of the moment.
> 
> I sort of typed this out in two inspired rushes today. I've tried to go through and edit, but to be honest, my mind is already on another chapter, so I might have missed a few things. If you see any glaring mistakes please let me know so I can fix them.
> 
> Trigger Warning: Discussion that involves the topic and brief description (without major details) of sexual assault.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Sunday  
(continued)  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Once they had arrived back at the command center, their newest rescue in tow, Usagi felt a profound sense of relief. She wanted to go home and crawl into bed. She was tired and achy, and emotionally drained. even though she knew they had to find others, and still had a major battle looming, she was happy that the Shitennou had been returned to them.

"Can I talk to you? Alone?"

Usagi turned, startled by the request, though part of her knew she shouldn't have been. Rei was still and quiet, her hands clasped together tightly at her waist. She didn't fidget, and there were no signs of hostility from her at all. That didn't mean she was ready for this conversation.

Biting her lip, Usagi moved closer to Rei. "Are you sure?"

A simple nod of the head followed. Behind the priestess, Usagi could see that Jadeite was staring at them both, looking worried. She could almost feel Mamoru's eyes on them as well. The others had begun to file out, or simply disappear, from the command center.

"Where do you want to go?" she asked.

"Lets just walk," Rei murmured. "Please?"

Usagi simply nodded, and the two girls made their way up the steps and into the arcade. Usagi nudged Rei toward the counter and ordered shakes to go for both of them, making sure to get the triple chocolate for Rei as well. It was the best treat for heavy conversation. When they had their drinks in hand, they slipped outside and made their way out of the more crowded section of the shopping district.

"Are you okay?" Usagi started, worried for her friend.

"Not really," Rei said honestly, her voice shaking a bit. She sucked on the straw and gasped, turning to peer at Usagi. "This is good."

"I know. Motoki makes them from scratch. I refuse to ask how many calories are in them though," she added.

Rei giggled, which made Usagi relax fractionally.

"I didn't mean to attack Tuxedo Kamen," Rei started. "I saw him throw an attack towards you and reacted instinctively. I didn't realize it was something you and he had trained for."

Usagi swallowed the large mouthful of chocolate milkshake and turned towards Rei. It looked as though she was starting with the heavy stuff right away. "I figured as much," she said honestly. "The look of shock on your face said it all."

"Oh."

They were both silent for several minutes, and Usagi steered them toward one of the parks. Her favorite one had a little bridge over a stream that she found beautiful, so she moved them towards it. The air was crisp with a spring breeze, and the sun was still high overhead, though it felt as though it had been a year since the day had started. Usagi knew that for Rei it must have felt even longer. Her heart ached for her, but she wasn't sure what to say. She didn't think anything she said or did could make it better.

"Do you know what they filled my head with?" Rei asked, as they transitioned from sidewalk to soft grass.

"No," Usagi said honestly. She wasn't sure she wanted to.

"Anger and rage towards you. That's when I realized I really had a problem. I let little things build and build in my head over time. Things you had, or have, absolutely no control over. Imagined things, and things you don't even know about." Her voice hitched and Usagi saw a single tear track down her cheek. Without thinking, she reached out and wiped away the tear.

"Rei..."

"No. Please let me finish," she begged.

Usagi only nodded and led Rei toward a bench. Once the girls were settled, she watched as Rei drew her legs up, her feet next to her bottom as she wrapped her arms around her legs. Knowing the posture was a defensive one, she rested her hand on Rei's knee, and waited.

"I think part of the problem is simple, petty jealousy," Rei started. "You have a mom who is alive and healthy. She loves you so much. And your dad adores you. He would never ship you off and pretend like you don't exist. No, don't argue," she said, obviously noticing Usagi wanted to interject. "It's true enough."

Usagi sighed and copied her friend's pose, setting the shake beside her on the stone bench. She didn't want to think about all of that. Of course she had parents, but that didn't mean she had never felt unloved. It didn't mean she had never felt hurt or rejected.

"People like you Usagi. They like you a lot. It's not just that you are small, even though I told myself that was the reason. You really aren't helpless. I think it's more that you inspire trust and loyalty. And at first, that's how I felt towards you."

Rei sighed, her eyes downcast for just a moment before meeting Usagi's again. There was so much pain in them that she wanted to weep and beg the other girl not to speak anymore. She couldn't. It seemed as though Rei needed to get everything out. Maybe it might have been better to do it in stages, but she wasn't going to stop Rei if she felt it was what she needed.

"Part of the problem was that I didn't want you to be the leader," Rei continued. "Not because I didn't think you could do the job. Simply because I wanted it. And then there was Mamoru and Tuxedo Kamen. I saw the way they both looked at you and wanted it for myself, even though I wasn't attracted to either of them. I just wanted to be cared about. I talked myself into believing you didn't deserve them."

Usagi was shocked. She'd never known that part of it. She had assumed Rei actually liked Mamoru, and she'd never known she was interested in Kamen. Nodding her head for Rei to continue, she simply picked up her shake and took a long sip, schooling her features to stillness and praying they were almost at the end.

"I'm going to tell you something, and I'm begging for you to keep it a secret," Rei said, confusing Usagi.

"I promise."

Rei stared at her for several long moments, nodded her head, and rested her forehead on her knees for a long moment. When she looked back up, Usagi saw utter devastation in her friend's eyes.

"A little while ago, my father ordered me to come to one of his parties. He didn't want the world to see that the politician didn't care about his daughter." Rei snorted angrily, but went on before Usagi could interrupt. "I hate those parties. They're boring, and filled with so much inane chatter and idle gossip. I had no interest in any of the people there, and I just wanted to be back at the Jinja, doing my chores and minding my own business."

Usagi noticed her hands were tightly clenched until her knuckles had turned white.

"There was a punch bowl and I got myself a large drink. I didn't know there was alcohol in it, and drank it down without thought. Only, it actually seemed to make me more thirsty, so I got another drink, and another." Rei shook her head at herself, but continued.

"I stumbled around for a bit, until I made it to my father's study and laid on one of the couches. I didn't know there was someone following me."

Usagi bit hard into her finger, somehow knowing where the story was going. She wanted to put her fingers in her ears and sing loudly at the top of her voice so she didn't have to hear anything else, but she knew Rei had probably never spoken of what happened to anyone. She needed Usagi to listen.

"I was barely conscious when he came in the room. I tried to sit up, tried to get away, but it was like my limbs didn't work. I felt like I was swimming through jelly and couldn't move. I'd seen him before, and he frightened me more than I can explain. I don't know why, I just know he did."

Usagi didn't want to hear what Rei was about to say. She bit harder into her finger and prayed it wasn't what she thought, but tears were pouring down Rei's cheeks.

"I couldn't get away from him Usagi. All my new powers were worthless. I couldn't have lit a single spark. He didn't listen when I asked him to go away. He just did what he wanted. I knew he was going to rape me. I knew it Usagi, but there was nothing I could do to stop him. No matter what I said, he didn't stop." Rei sobbed once and Usagi reached for her, pulling the priestess into her arms and holding tight.

"When it was over he just pulled my skirt back down, and walked out of the room. That's when I finally remembered the communicator. After it was done." Rei shook her head. "I might have stopped him if I'd remembered when he first came into the room. I was in the city. You and Ami might have gotten to me in time. But I didn't even think about it."

"Rei..."

Her friend kept talking right over her.

"Somehow, instead of blaming him for what he did to me, I turned all that anger on you. I convinced myself you were too gullible, too fragile to survive if someone did something like that to you. I told myself I had to prepare you because no one could be trusted. You were so innocent and carefree that it actually hurt to look at you Usagi. I don't know why I focused it all on you. I just did. And I lashed out, again and again. And the more I hurt you, the more I told myself I was protecting you."

"Oh, Rei," Usagi sobbed, hugging tighter than ever.

"I'd thought I was invincible. That nothing and no one could ever hurt me... and then that happened and I didn't feel safe anymore. I know it made me distrust Tuxedo Kamen even more, and every other guy I saw until I almost hated ever male on the planet. But the angrier I got, the more I lashed out at you. The more I hurt you instead of trying to get help."

Finally, Rei's voice broke with a sob of her own, and her whole body shook as she wept. Usagi wondered if she had held the tears back since it had happened. She could see how things had spiraled out of control, and even understand, to a point, how Rei's mind could have fixated on one thing because it let her ignore facing what had happened. Her feelings might have been hurt, but somehow it was easy to forgive her friend, especially knowing how hard it was for Rei to open up. She knew Rei had never told anyone else. She knew it deep in the center of her being that Rei was trusting her now with something so vitally important that it was imperitive she keep the secret until Rei released her from it.

"Rei, look at me," she ordered.

Rei lifted her head. Her face was tear streaked, her nose running slightly, and her body still shaking.

"I forgive you. We never have to talk about what was said or done between us again." At the other girl's nod, Usagi continued. "I love you Rei. You're my sister. What you went through was awful and you didn't deserve to be treated that way. I won't tell, but I think you should talk to someone about it, even if it's just me. But you and I both know your grandfather wont think any differently about you if you tell him. He loves you completely. If you decide not to tell him, and you don't want to see a counselor, you can come talk to me. I love you Rei. I love you so, so much. I want to take off and find the guy and hurt him, but that won't fix anything. It won't change what happened. I just ask that you tell me what you need. If you need to be mad, you can come and yell, and I can listen. If you need to cry, I have a broad shoulder. If you need to just sit quietly with someone who knows, I can do that too."

"Usagi," Rei whispered, and hugged her so hard it hurt.

The two girls sat like that for a long time, neither remembering the chocolate shakes, neither worried about the strange glances they received from people walking along the paths. They clung to each other tightly and Usagi prayed that Rei would never know that kind of pain again. She prayed none of the others would ever feel it either.

She understood now, why Rei had become so angry and hostile. It didn't make the months of pain go away, but knowing the truth made Usagi feel lighter. It was true she had been on her own for a time, but it seemed Rei had been on her own for much longer, and Usagi was determined to make sure she never felt alone and helpless again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Grandfather smiled and waved as the two girls made their way up the steps to the shrine. Usagi waved back, her arm still around Rei. They'd disposed of their melted shakes and had talked seriously for a long time, before heading to the Jinja.

Rei wanted to ask her grandfather about changing schools. It hadn't surprised Usagi very much that her friend hadn't spoken to her father since the party. She'd also ignored a summons to another gathering, irritating the man. Now, all she wanted to do was somehow protect Rei from feeling that way again, and changing schools was the first step to doing that.

They made their way to where Grandfather sat and settled down on the ground in front of him.

"You've been crying," he said, without preamble. "Tell me what's wrong."

Rei turned her gaze on Usagi for a long moment. She wasn't sure what the other girl wanted, so she put her hand on her shoulder, giving silent support. It was rei's decision. Not hers. If she tried to tell her what to do it would only make her feel powerless again, and that was something Usagi couldn't stand.

"It's..." Rei paused. "It's hard to talk about."

"Does it have something to do with the problem you girls have been having?"

"Yes, and no," Rei said, biting her lower lip. "I was mad at Usagi, but I wasn't really mad at her, if that makes any sense."

Showing an incredible amount of wisdom, the older man simply nodded and waited for his granddaughter to continue. He could be an incorrigible flirt at times, but he was a great man, and wise in many ways.

"Something happened to me that I don't really want to talk about," Rei said. "At father's last party."

Usagi was watching both of them carefully and saw the moment Grandfather realized what had happened. His hands clenched into fists and he inhaled sharply through his nose. "Did someone hurt you Rei?" he asked in a controlled voice, though Usagi could tell he was anything but under control.

Rei nodded her head almost imperceptibly, but they both saw it. A crack of white light erupted over their heads, startling her and Rei both, but a moment later Grandfather Hino was on the ground, and he had gathered Rei into his arms.

"I'm sorry," Rei whispered.

Grandfather reacted just the way Usagi would have. He pulled back and stared at Rei. "It wasn't your fault." He said it simply. It was pure fact.

"But I'd had alcohol," Rei said in a small voice.

"Doesn't matter. Rei... no one has the right to touch you without your permission. You aren't going to another party. I know you hate them, and now I can see why you refused to go to the last one. I won't make you go, I promise."

Rei sniffled and hugged him. "Okay."

Usagi felt a bit shell-shocked. It seemed as though opening up to her had allowed Rei to reach out to the one person she needed most. Watching him comfort her brought tears to Usagi's eyes. Somehow she had known he would react this way if Rei told him, though how she'd known she couldn't tell.

"I want to change schools," Rei blurted suddenly. "I hate the Catholic school. The other girls, and even the nuns, can be cruel because I'm not Catholic," she added. "I want to switch to the public school."

"I'll tell your father. Tomorrow morning we can go and get the paperwork and we'll switch you out," Grandfather said.

Usagi nodded her head, thankful Rei had someone who loved her and could protect her. She looked at her watch, knowing her time was short. Mamoru would be by to walk her home and she wanted to say something before he arrived.

"Rei. I love you. I'm not mad at you at all. If being mad at me helped you survive until you were ready to talk about it, then I'm glad. I can take it. Don't forget, if you need someone who will listen to you yell, I'm here, okay?"

The miko nodded her head, tears pouring down her cheeks. "I love you too Usagi," she whispered.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
"I need to ask you a favor," Usagi said the moment Naru picked up the phone.

"Anything."

"I want you to forgive Rei, no questions asked."

"Wow." Naru's voice shook for a moment. "I'm assuming this means the two of you have worked things out. I'll forgive her for your sake."

"That's all I ask," Usagi said. "We really have worked things out, and she's going to be coming to our school starting tomorrow. I don't want there to be any hard feelings and I know you can be a bit... protective of me."

Naru snorted into the phone. They both knew it was true. "I can. I'll always have your back. Just tell me one thing."

"What?"

"Is she okay?"

"She is. I got her out. Had a bit of help to do it."

"Was it scary?"

"Absolutely terrifying. Of course, Mamoru was scarier. When he realized I'd gone without him he kind of lost it."

"I bet," Naru said, and snorted again. "That boy loves you."

"I know. He told me. I love him too," she told her friend honestly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Monday  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Usagi snuggled deeper under the covers. She didn't want to get up. She didn't want to go to school, or face her companions. Instead, she would rather lay in bed, beneath her nice, toasty comforter, and not move.

It had been a long night, full of talk and worry for her friend, but she felt as though Rei had turned a corner. Her own mind was focused on the worry of retribution from the Negaverse, and the possibility of the other Dark Generals attacking them.

With a groan, Usagi threw off the covers. She had to go to school. It was Rei's first day. She also knew Mamoru would arrive shortly and she needed to hurry up and get dressed before he arrived. She grabbed a uniform from her closet and threw it on before brushing her hair and putting it into buns.

Ten minutes later she was at the table eating a piece of toast and looking over her homework a final time. She wasn't sure how well she had done. There hadn't been much time to study. Still, she'd completed the worksheets and they could be turned in. Stuffing her toast in her mouth, she opened her satchel and stuffed the papers inside.

"We have to get going," Mamoru said, sipping at his coffee.

Usagi groaned. She really didn't want to go to school. But she stood and made her way to his side, her satchel in one hand, a last piece of toast in the other. Mamoru laughed and put his arm around her waist.

"I know. It's just plain awful that they force you to get an education," he said mock seriously.

Unable to help herself, Usagi giggled. "Mamo-chan," she complained. Then he kissed her cheek and led her out of the house. She waved at her mother once, but hurried along, thankful that Mamoru was with her.

"So, what did Rei want to talk about?" he asked.

Usagi blushed, not really sure what to say. "She apologized and we're friends again."

"What caused the problem?" he probed.

Usagi bit her lip. "I can't tell you." She saw Mamoru ready to argue and hurried on. "It's not mine to tell Mamo-chan. It's hers, if and when she decides. Just know there won't be any more problems between us. In fact, we're closer than we were before the problems started. Can you just trust me on that?"

Mamoru stared at her for a long moment, then nodded. "Of course. If you say you're good, then you are. Just know if you need to talk, I'm here."

"Arigato," Usagi whispered, then pulled him down for a kiss.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
It was obvious Rei was nervous. She still had the uniform from her old school, which meant she stood out. Haruna-sensei put her next to Makoto and the other girl grinned at her. Usagi shook her head and smiled. Ami was writing rapidly in her notebook, trying to get everything written before the lunch bell. Minako was staring dreamily off into space. Makoto had her head tilted back and her hands over her eyes as though she was thinking hard about something. And Rei was biting her lip and glancing around the room nervously.

Naru leapt out of her seat the moment the bell rang, grabbing Usagi's hand. Grinning at her friend, she let herself be tugged over to where the other girls were sitting.

"Come on, grab your bento boxes and lets go. I've told Umino to hang with Yukio for today."

The other girls grabbed their food and as a group they made their way into the hallway to switch out of their slippers and into shoes.

Once they made it outside, Naru hurried them over to a tree. She settled next to Rei and put an arm around her. "Are you okay? Really? I figure being kidnapped had to be pretty scary."

"It was," Rei said, shuddering. "It really was. But then I was looking up and I heard Usagi's voice even though I couldn't see her. I knew I was safe then even though we still had to get out of there."

"Wow. It must have been so freaky."

Usagi couldn't help the shudder that passed through her. "It was so cold and wet and gross," she told her friend. "It was like a castle or something, but one that no one took care of."

"Did you see any Youma?" Naru asked curiously.

"Yeah, we saw Youma," Rei said in a dry voice and they all laughed.

Usagi was more grateful than she could put into words. She'd asked Naru to forgive Rei and she'd done it, no questions asked. She'd welcomed her back as though not a day had passed since they'd played Sailor V together in the arcade. Looking around at her circle of friends, Usagi smiled. She was very blessed to have them all in her life.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
"What's the plan?" Haruki asked, digging into his chili fries.

"I honestly haven't decided yet," Usagi told him. She turned her gaze on everyone in the room. The group had grown by leaps and bounds over the past few weeks, but she still felt like there were people missing, and she wasn't sure how to find them.

"Part of me thinks we should lay low for a while," Mamoru said, his arm over Usagi's chair as he sat next to her. "Find out what the Negaverse wants to do next."

"There are people missing from our number," Kunzite said. "I have some of my memories, and I can tell you honestly, the Senshi are not complete."

"How many more are there?" Shingo asked. "We thought, nine planets, nine Senshi, but we weren't sure."

"There are nine Senshi now," Nephrite said. Usagi caught something in his tone, but she wasn't sure she understood. Every once in a while it felt like Kunzite and the others were keeping a secret from her and Mamoru, but she didn't want to accuse them of something. Without knowing the truth, she wasn't sure what to say.

"So we look for them first?" Rei asked, looking to Usagi for direction.

"Maybe we should," Usagi said, biting her lip. "But I'm not sure how long the Negaverse will keep quiet. I'm sure they have something planned, though what it is, I can't say what it is. We should probably step up patrols."

"Whatever it is, we can fight them. We wont let them hurt anyone else," Mamoru said, his voice fierce.

"I think we should work in teams of two. I'd rather not have anyone out there alone."

"Who should be paired up?" Zoicite asked.

Usagi almost sighed in relief. He hadn't spoken much since he'd thanked her, and it was good to hear his voice, and not just because it was pleasant and deep.

"I think for now, we should focus on combining our abilities in training, and maybe to help that along we should patrol with our counterpart," Kunzite suggested. "My power and Minako's are similar. The same goes for Neph and Mako, Ami and Zo, and Rei and Jed."

Usagi turned her eyes to Rei's and asked silently if she could handle it. She watched as Rei bit her lip and then finally nodded. "Okay, that should work, but Shingo and I should be together then."

"No."

Usagi turned towards Mamoru, surprised. She lifted an eyebrow, waiting for his explanation.

"You and I are together. Shingo and Haruki can patrol as a team. You aren't going out there without me again Usako."

As much as she wanted to argue with him, she knew if she did go out with Shingo, Mamoru would follow them. She sighed and nodded. "Okay Mamo-chan," she said, "but I do need to learn to work with Shingo, so we need to devote some of our training to that."

"There's also the matter of teaching you and Minako to use swords," Kunzite said. When Usagi raised an eyebrow in question he didn't elaborate. "Please just trust me on this. Both of you need to learn. So does Mamoru."

"Okay," Usagi said, and saw the others nod in agreement. "We will have to step up training in certain areas, but I don't want to let too much time go by without patrols either. We know the hotspots. Ami do you think you can work with Artemis and Zoicite to increase the sensors on the mini computers? We need as much warning as possible for Youma."

"Already on it," Ami said.

"How can I help?" Luna asked.

"Do you think you can come up with schedules for training and patrols?" Usagi asked. "Now that Rei is going to be in school with us, her schedule wont be so different."

"Consider it done," Luna said. "And what about the Negaverse itself. Do we still have a way in?"

"We can't teleport in anymore," Kunzite said, then grinned. "But they seem to have forgotten about the open portals. They go both ways."

"Open portals?" Ami asked.

"Hie," Zoicite said, his voice quiet. "We set up five of them throughout Tokyo so that Youma could come and go when they needed to without us. We had several plans going at times and knew we couldn't be with them at all times." He shrugged, then ducked his head.

"Zoicite?" Rei said, and Usagi noticed he flinched at the sound of her voice. He didn't look up, and barely mumbled a response. When Rei continued, she knew he was shocked, though she wasn't. "It wasn't your fault. I don't blame you."

Zoicite's head whipped up and he stared at her. "You don't?"

"No. We've all done things we regret," she said, her eyes slipping towards Usagi briefly. "But what the Negaverse did to you was beyond your control. It wasn't really you that took me. It's okay."

"But..."

"No buts Zo," Kunzite said, interrupting him. "We've explained it, and you've heard it from Rei herself. Now you need to focus on your responsibilities so we can avoid anything like that happening again. No one needs to endure the pain we've all been feeling. Are you with me?"

Zoicite nodded, and Usagi saw a tear streak down his cheek before he shook himself and sat up straighter. "I'm with you," he said, his voice stronger.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Usagi, Shingo, and Haruki made it home shortly after the meeting and washed up for dinner. They helped set out the plates and carry the soup and everything else. Within moments they were all sitting comfortably, talking and laughing with her parents.

The doorbell rang, startling everyone at the table. Usagi started to stand, but was waved back into her seat by her father, who adjusted his tie carefully before making his way out of the kitchen. None of them knew who it was, but her father was always careful to be proper in front of others.

"Could you pass the bowl?" Shingo asked. Usagi handed it to him and watched as he ladled several large scoops of the miso soup into his empty dish. She smirked, remembering how he often teased her about her own appetite. It seemed to her that Shingo was coming into a growth spurt just as she had a few months before.

Haruki dipped into his own bowl for a dumpling and grinned. "Slow down Shingo," he said, winking. Usagi laughed at the look of consternation Shingo threw at him.

A scream rang out from the living room. Usagi, Shingo, and Haruki were up out of their seats instantly.

"Shingo, protect mom. Haruki, call for back up and make sure no one is coming through the back door."

Usagi lifted her hand to her brooch and pulled her transformation over her. In seconds, thankfully without the brilliant flashes of lights or fuchsia ribbons, Sailor Moon was standing in the kitchen. She was thankful her henshin was sped as she needed to get to her father fast.

Racing out into the living room, Sailor Moon hurried to assess what was happening. She could hear Blue Moon Knight and Sun Knight doing as she'd asked, and saw a black streak of fur as Luna came racing down the stairs when she peeped out into the living room.

Two Youma were attacking her father, who was lying on the ground. It looked like he was unconscious, but alive. "Moon Crystal Protection Dome!" she screamed, and raced to begin the fight.

Almost the second she cleared the doorway a red-haired man stepped out of the space behind it and tried to grab her. Sailor Moon was already ducking under his reach when she heard the first shouts. Help had arrived.

"Mercury Bubble Spray!"

"Supreme Thunder!"

"Tuxedo la Smoking Bomber!"

"Thunder Dragon!"

Sailor Moon ducked and dodged around those fighting the red-haired general and the two Youma, and threw herself inside the dome covering her father. His chest rose and fell but he was covered in blood.

"Tuxedo Kamen!" she shrieked, calling for help.

She felt him pass through the dome and shuddered. "I've got him," he said, and put both his hands on her father, beginning the process of healing him. Sailor Moon sobbed, but turned away to make sure no one needed her help.

One of the Youma was dusted, the other was throwing flames around her living room. The red-haired general was laughing, his own force-field of protection surrounding him as the others tried again and again to attack him. Nothing was working. He lazily threw attacks that passed through whatever the barrier was, destroying furniture, blowing out the living room window, and attacking the fighters who were trying to stop the Youma from burning the house down.

Sailor Moon screamed and threw herself at the man, not sure she could get through the shield around him, but knowing she had to try before he killed one of her friends.

"Sailor Moon stop!" shrieked Mars.

"Sailor Moon!" yelled North Knight.

"Usako!" screamed Tuxedo Kamen.

Barely in time she skidded to a halt and looked to the others.

"The shield burns you if you touch it," Mars warned, coming up beside her. "And if anyone gets to burn you, it had better be me," she added with a grin.

Sailor Moon grinned at the other girl and both of them turned toward the red-haired general. "What do you want? How did you get in here?" She had protected the house. She knew she'd done it. Why hadn't it worked?

"Did you think your little spell could stop me?" he asked, grinning madly. "I broke through it. Now, I want the Silver Crystal," he hissed. "Give it to me."

"We don't have it," Mars shouted. "You're attacking for nothing."

"No!" he shouted. "My sister says you have it, so you have it."

"We don't!" Sailor Moon yelled, angry. "We don't know where it is."

He laughed, and the hairs on her arms and the back of her neck stood as a shiver ran down her spine. "Then you have no hope of defeating us," he said, and a moment later he was gone.

Sailor Moon turned and screamed as the Youma tried to burn Sailor Jupiter. The red hair-pieces amplified the sounds until the house shook. The Youma looked terrified, staring at her in horror. It was right to be afraid. "Moon Healing Escalation!" she shouted. The monster disintegrated into dust.

She breathed a sigh of relief and turned to check on her father, who was still prone on the floor. His eyes were open, his head turned toward her. When she moved his eyes followed her movements. She couldn't help but sigh. So much for her secret. A quick glance around showed Sailor Moon that her house was destroyed. There were several fires raging. The picture window had been blown out, and there was a gaping hole where the wall that separated the kitchen and dining area from the living room had once been.

"Usagi?" her mother called her name, coming out of the kitchen with Blue Moon Knight and Sun Knight. She couldn't hold back the sigh of relief at seeing her mother.

"We have to get out of here," Sun Knight said. "Or, at least, no one can know we're them," he added.

Sailor Moon nodded. She moved into the stairwell and released her henshin. Her brother and cousin did the same, and then the three of them made their way to Ikuko, who was now kneeling on the floor by her husband, her eyes wide with shock.

"Alright, I hear sirens. The fire trucks are coming. All of you need to get out into the front yard," Tuxedo Kamen said. "Watch your back Usako," he added, giving her a warning glance.

Once her father had been helped to his feet, Haruki wrapped his arm over a shoulder and half carried him to the door. The family stumbled out into the yard, followed by Sailor Mars and West Knight, who hovered over them protectively.


	14. Chapter 13: Home Sweet Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: I have four chapters to transfer from the other site. For some reason I was having a difficult time accessing AO3 for a couple weeks, but I'm finally back up and running. You've missed a bit, but I will get it all to you as quickly as I can. 
> 
> Author's Note: This chapter was unbelievably hard for me to write. I just want to warn you, it's pretty emotional. I had my music blaring and was singing along and suddenly just burst into tears. I've lost my things to fire, so when I write this, I hope I convey just how strange it all felt.
> 
> Review Answer: A couple of you have asked when Haruki became Sun Knight. It was during the battle where Rei was taken, right after Shingo leaves the tree and is almost hit. Sun Knight appears. I will try to reword the scene a bit so it's clearer. I probably should have had Usagi thing/talk about it a bit afterwards, but I had her so completely consumed with what happened to Rei that it was almost impossible for her to focus on anything else. I am working on editing all the chapters of this story and I will let you all know as soon as I finish that. Hopefully it will be an even better read.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Monday  
(continued)  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The evening air was cool and crisp. If it wasn't for the smell of smoke, the radiant heat, and the sound of crackling flames, Usagi might have thought it was an ordinary evening. She coughed once, though the smoke hadn't been bad when she and her family made it out of the house. Turning, she stared up at her beloved home, where she had lived since shortly after Shingo had been born.

The damage was already extensive, but thankfully she had Sailor Mercury and South Knight. She watched, fascinated, as Mercury sent out her bubble spray attack in a milder form. Then South Knight released jets of water at the worst of the flames. Long before the fire trucks could arrive, there was no more fire, and even the embers had cooled when Mercury added a touch of chill to her work.

Usagi sighed. She was weak and tired. Her legs dropped out from under her and she sat heavily on the grass, staring at the balcony outside her bedroom window. She could see that the room was damaged. Scorch marks touched the outer wall. She wondered if her bunny blanket had been destroyed, and if she still had any of her school uniforms left.

Everything felt like a dream, and she couldn't help wondering if it was real. The world seemed vague and far away, as though being glimpsed through deep water. She blinked heavily and realized she was crying. Surprised, she reached up and wiped tears away with the heels of her hands.

Her mind was overloaded with questions. How had the red-haired general discovered her location? How had be broken through what amounted to a wish. They hadn't been able to turn Rei, so why had the protection on her house failed? Had she not wished hard enough? Was the new Dark General stronger than the others she had faced? Had she missed something vital? Were the others in danger? If he had broken through one, could he break through others?

Strong arms lifted Usagi from the ground and she was turned so that her face was buried against a warm neck. She inhaled automatically. Smoke overlay the mingled scents of coffee and roses, but she knew these arms. She knew this touch. Her Mamo-chan was holding her. He swayed slightly as he held her close. It took a long time to realize he was talking to her.

"... Usako. We have to go now. It's going to be okay. Come on. You're alright. Let's go."

She felt him walking with her and a moment later she was settled into the front passenger seat of Haruki's car. Mamoru walked around and climbed in beside her while Haruki and Shingo scrambled into the back seat. She turned her head, slightly panicked, as she searched for her parents. They were in her father's car, but it was Kunzite at the wheel. She paused, confused. She hadn't known Kunzite could drive.

She opened her mouth to ask where they were going, but the words got stuck somewhere along the way and all that came out was a sob. She felt Mamoru touch her leg, his hand hot and soothing on her skin. She looked back at him and watched as his hand flexed on the steering wheel. He put the car into gear, moving his hand to do so and she felt so alone. A strong urge to crawl into his lap and hide from the world washed over Usagi, but she bit her lip and stared out through the window.

The car pulled out of the driveway and onto the road. Everything blurred around her as tears filled her eyes again. She blinked, letting the tears fall silently and tried to focus on something more important than her house. Everyone was alive. No one had been taken. No one was about to be turned or killed. She sniffled and leaned her head back on the seat, closing her eyes.

"Are you alright?" Mamoru asked, his voice soft.

Usagi could only nod. She kept her eyes closed and told herself to focus on what she still had. Her family and friends. That was all that was important. She couldn't think about what might have been lost. She had to remember that she had to protect her family.

Sudden darkness startled her into opening her eyes and she looked around the dim interior of a parking garage.

"Where are we?" Shingo asked from the back seat. His voice was raspy as though he too had been crying. She reached her hand out to him and he took it.

"We're at my place," Mamoru explained.

"Where are my parents?" Shingo asked, sounding upset.

"Right there," Haruki said and she heard him turning in his seat. Kunzite must have followed them into the parking garage.

"Okay," Shingo whispered.

Mamoru parked the car. Usagi reached to unbuckle her seatbelt and couldn't figure out the mechanism. It seemed harder to figure out than the most complex math problem. There was a red button, but her fingers refused to work enough to depress it. Her door opened and Mamoru reached in and unlatched it before helping her out to stand on shaky legs.

When she stumbled Mamoru picked her up, his arms under her knees and her back. She felt him walking, but she was focused on the little yellow lights on the ceiling. She felt like she was missing something, but couldn't bother to focus on it. She heard her mother's voice, but the words didn't register. Instead she watched as the parking garage became an elevator, and then a moment later a long hallway with pretty lights in sconces on the wall. Then she was in a familiar space and she was lowered to sit in one of the comfortable chairs where she and Mamoru had spent time talking to one another.

She turned her head and looked between the table and the couch, remembering the last time she had been in Mamoru's apartment and they had kissed so wildly and clung to one another after admitting they were in love. A smile tried to form on her face, but heavy guilt erased it. She didn't deserve to be happy when she had led darkness to her family.

Another sniffle escaped and Usagi buried her face in her hands.

"Usagi?"

She lifted her head and stared at her father, who was kneeling in front of her.

"I'm sorry daddy," she whispered. "I'm s-so sorry."

"I don't understand what happened," Kenji said in a soft voice. "What I do know is that it wasn't your fault."

She shook her head. He didn't know. It was her fault. She had practically led them right to him and her mother. It was her fault they were in danger. It was her fault they no longer had a home. Everything was her fault.

"Usagi!" her father said, his tone harsh.

She blinked.

"None of that is true!"

Had she spoken out loud? She hadn't realized he could hear her. "But-"

Before the words could come tumbling out of her mouth her father put his hand over her mouth and then lifted her chin so he could look into her eyes. "What I saw was you saving my life, protecting your family and your friends. However they found us, it wasn't your fault. That man said you put a spell on the house. That means you did your best to protect us."

Usagi sniffled and stared into his eyes. They were full of love, and kindness. "Daddy," she whispered. His strong arms came around her and she was pulled against him.

"How did I not know my kids were superheroes?" she heard him mutter.

Sitting up she wiped her eyes again and bit her lip. "Luna said anyone who knew would be in danger," she admitted.

"So you were trying to protect us?"

She nodded. She'd failed though. There was dried blood on her father's shirt and pants. He'd been bleeding. She remembered that now. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"I'm fine. Mamoru healed me." He shook his head. "I have no idea how he did it, or how any of you do the things you do, but I'm grateful."

"But that's why you were attacked. Because of us," she said, her throat aching with unshed tears. She was a danger to her family. 

"If you weren't Sailor Moon, I would have died already. Your mother would have died. Your brother too." He sighed. "Remember that before you beat yourself up."

"Okay," she whispered, still not convinced.

Mamoru handed her a huge mug of hot chocolate and a bunch of Hershey's Kisses. She couldn't help the smile that broke out as she looked up at him.

A moment later her father moved away to sit on the couch, pulling Shingo up against his side and talking to him in a low voice. Haruki sat on Shingo's other side, staring off into space. She watched as her mother puttered around the living room, looking at the prints on the walls, and the only two photos Mamoru had displayed. One was of him with his mother and father, the other was of the two of them in the arcade. She'd just dumped a chocolate milkshake over his head and was laughing.

The door opened and Kunzite and Minako came in, followed by Luna and Artemis.

Minako came to the chair and sat on the arm, putting her hand on Usagi's shoulder. "The others are grabbing some of your things that weren't damaged," she said quietly. Her voice was full of sympathy and Usagi wanted to start crying again, but her eyes were dry and achy. Instead she nodded her head, unable to speak anymore.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Tuesday  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Endymion!"

Sitting upright, Usagi put her hand to her chest and stared around in confusion. The pain eased quickly and her breathing calmed as she remembered where she was. A quick glance at her communicator told her it was just after four in the morning. The room was dark, only the light of the moon from the wide window illuminating her surroundings. She was on the couch in the living room.

Below her, on the floor, Mamoru sat up, shaking his head. "You okay?" he asked. "You screamed."

She sighed in relief. Just hearing his voice eased something inside her. "Yeah. Just the nightmare."

"The nightmare. Not a nightmare. This is the same one you always have?"

"Yeah. I'm used to it. Sorry I woke you," she whispered.

"it's alright," he said, and stood up, automatically reaching for the sleeping bag that had been lain on the floor. He folded it and laid it on the arm of the couch.

Usagi got up and folded her own bedding. Technically his bedding. He'd taken his comforter off the bed for her. It smelled like him and had lulled her quickly to sleep the night before.

"How did that not wake up Shingo and Haruki?" he asked, looking across the room where both of them were still softly snoring.

She shrugged. "They're used to it, I guess. Or they could just be really tired."

Mamoru sat on the couch and pulled her to sit next to him, wrapping his arm behind her back and drawing her close. She sniffed at his shirt, loving his smell and dug her head into his chest. He chuckled and kissed the top of her head. "Sometimes I think you're part cat," he said.

Usagi giggled. "Maybe. I'm hungry," she said.

"Thank kami," Mamoru muttered. "I was worried when you wouldn't touch the pizza last night. I've never seen you turn down food and you can't afford to miss a meal."

Usagi blushed, thankful for the darkness to hide her pinkened cheeks. She wasn't exactly skin and bones, but she was rather thin. She hadn't realized Mamoru had noticed, though why he wouldn't was a mystery. She noticed everything about him.

"Lets see what I have," he said. "If I don't have enough to cook I'll make a quick run to the store."

They went into the kitchen together. Usagi wasn't sure if she was emotionally strong enough to sit on her own yet. Everything had been so overwhelming and she just needed to be in his presence. He pulled out eggs and sausage, bacon and cheese, and then reached into a cupboard and grabbed a box of premade pancake mix and an unopened bottle of syrup. Usagi clapped in delight when she saw that. She couldn't help her love of pancakes.

They moved around each other, easing from one side of the kitchen to the other as she first prepared the eggs for him to cook and then the pancakes. By the time they were done everyone had woken up and was sitting at the dining table ready to eat.

"Where did the guys go?" Usagi asked.

"Motoki took them to his house for now until I get my new place."

"Your new place?" her father asked as they brought the food to the table.

"I'm planning on purchasing a property," Mamoru admitted. "This apartment is great for one person, but not for everyone. I've had four guys crashing here for a week, and Usagi has all the girls. It just makes sense to have a property where we can train, work, and rest." He shrugged his shoulders as he scooped out cheesy eggs for Shingo. "It's something Usagi and I have to talk about. We need just the right location and kind of place."

Usagi set several pancakes on her plate, then laughed as Mamoru added two more. She grinned at him and poured syrup over the stack as he put a bowl of eggs and sausage beside her plate. She went to push it away, but he stopped her.

"Eat," he ordered gently. "You didn't get to finish dinner last night. You need the calories and the protein."

"But-," she started and he gave her a look and rolled his eyes.

"Don't make me wake Luna," he warned.

Usagi automatically looked around, worried. Thankfully the cat was still curled up on a cushion in the living room and wasn't prepared to scold her. A heavy sigh of relief escaped. The cat was hell on making her eat ever since she'd learned Usagi didn't gain weight the way other girls did. Normally it wasn't an issue as she was always hungry anyway, but these were special circumstances.

Realizing she was in the clear she stuck her tongue out at her boyfriend and dug into her food with gusto.

"I'm keeping you kids home today," her mother said. "Your father is taking the day off. We have to talk to the inspector and the insurance company and we have to get all of you new clothing and other things you need."

"Cool," Shingo breathed and Usagi shook her head at him.

"Mamoru, do you and Usagi want to come with us while the boys go get fitted for their clothing?" Kenji asked. "I think if you're looking at properties it would be good to go together, since I don't think our house is going to be sound to return to."

Usagi didn't like hearing they couldn't return home. She'd hoped there was a chance the house could be repaired. She waited for Mamoru to answer but he looked to her first, as though wanting her opinion. She nodded her head and waited.

"I think we could do that," he said. "I do have to call my guardian first to let him know I will be making several withdrawals."

Ikuko frowned. "What exactly does your guardian do?" she asked.

"Not much. I'm relatively self-sufficient. He checks in with me once a month, helps me budget, and approves large purchases. When I signed the lease here, and bought my car and my motorcycle I had to talk to him first and get his signature."

"I don't understand Mamo-chan. Can't you just get access to your parents house early?"

As soon as she'd spoken she wished she hadn't, but he didn't flinch or seem upset. "No. And even if I could, it's too far outside of town. When a Youma attacks we all need to be close by. I timed it as eleven minutes to run from the house to the shopping district. I'm sure you could make it in eight, but it still isn't fast enough if someone is hurt."

"True," Usagi said. "So did you have a place in mind?"

Mamoru grinned. "I do. And I think you'll like it. Remember that old dojo a block over from the arcade?"

Usagi nodded. "It closed down almost a year ago. But the property looks like it's in bad shape."

"Not really," her father interjected. "The lawn and garden need work and the roof needs a bit of repair, but the property itself is sound, on a hillside so it's safe from flooding, and has plenty of room. If that's the location then there is the potential for a business in the front to bring in income as well. It's worth a look. I think there was a small college there at one time. It could be just the thing."

"Exactly," Mamoru said, his face showing his excitement. "From what I read on the listing it has a full basement, a pool, and there are both family wings and dormitories. We could use the dojo area to work out and practice our close quarters combat, though for actual attacks we would still need to use one of the parks or the field behind the Jinja."

Usagi nodded, thinking about it. "It would be nice to have a central location to work from. It's in the heart of the area hardest hit by attacks too."

Haruki frowned. "What about the command center. If it's so close, perhaps there could be some sort of access to it. Most places don't have basements, so it's possible there is nothing blocking the way."

"How did the command center even get created?" Shingo asked, then yawned. "I mean, Motoki didn't even know about it, so how did it get down there?"

No one had an answer for that. Breakfast done, Haruki and Shingo offered to clear the dishes. Usagi hurried through a quick shower and got dressed in an outfit Minako had brought for her. She wore simple pink capris pants, a pink tank top, and her favorite bunny sweater, which thankfully had been at Naru's. She tucked her brooch into her subspace pocket along with her wand and disguise pen, and hurried back to the dining room.

"Are you boys going to be okay on your own?" Ikuko asked, looking at Shingo and Haruki. Both of them nodded and hugged her goodbye before they left. Mamoru gave them a spare key and closed the door behind them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
"So explain this to me," Ikuko said, her tone gentle as they sat outside a noisy café that afternoon. "You became Sailor Moon months ago, right?"

It was bright and sunny out. They'd been on the go most of the day, dealing with the insurance company, the fire inspector, several other people involved with the house, and several smaller errands. The end result was that the house was declared unsafe. It was no longer structurally sound. The rest of their belongings were being taken out by a crew the fire inspector had recommended who knew how to work safely inside the building.

Now Usagi and her mother were waiting for Mamoru and Kenji to step out of the lawyer's office where Mamoru was collecting the paperwork which would allow him to remove a large sum of money and sign for the down payment on a property if he chose. Her mother had a cup of hot tea while Usagi sipped at hot chocolate as they talked.

Thinking back to her first days as a Senshi, Usagi nodded. "Yeah. And Mamoru changed for the first time that same night. His transformations are actually linked to mine."

"So you two have been heroes the longest then?" She didn't comment on the link, and Usagi was grateful because she wasn't sure how to explain it.

Usagi frowned. "Not really. Minako was Sailor V before I became Moon, but she was gone for a bit, and I didn't meet her or know she was actually Venus until recently."

"The Sailor V?" her mother asked in a strangled voice.

Usagi couldn't help laughing. "One and the same," she admitted.

"Okay, so then the other girls showed up, right?"

Usagi nodded. "Yeah. Mercury or Ami, then Mars or Rei, and Jupiter or Makoto. Recently we saved Kunzite. Then Nephrite, Jadeite, and Zoicite."

"So when did Shingo and Haruki get involved?"

"Very, very recently," Usagi admitted. "About a week ago Shingo saw me trying to fight a Youma who'd gotten the better of me and he became Blue Moon. Then the night Rei was taken-"

"Rei was taken?" Ikuko asked, leaning forward urgently. "Is she okay?"

"She is now. She was only gone a couple of days but to her it felt like a month. From what she and the guys described it is pretty awful."

"So Haruki changed when she was taken?" her mother asked.

"Just before. Shingo almost got hit, and Haruki showed up as Sun Knight. I had no idea he was there until I saw him attack. I haven't even really asked him about it. He just appeared and I was so overwhelmed with rescuing Rei I never bothered to talk to him."

"But you got Rei back."

"Yeah," Usagi shuddered, remembering the glass coffin she'd pulled her friend out of. "It was freaky, but Jadeite and I went in and got her."

"So now all of you are together, and what, there was another Dark Generals?"

"I guess so. I haven't had a chance to ask who he is yet. I'm sure Kunzite and the others know."

"Wow. That's scary. So are there more Senshi?"

"There's a total of nine if you include me. I guess Earth doesn't have one back then, and according to Luna the moon didn't either."

"Didn't when?" Ikuko asked, frowning.

"I guess in our past lives. I don't really remember all that much to be honest. That's what those nightmares are about, but I can never remember them when I wake up."

"Do you know who you were in your past life?"

"Not a clue," Usagi said, picking up her hot chocolate to take a sip. "There's dad and Mamoru," she added a moment later when she caught sight of the raven black hair and intense blue eyes as they came out of the lawyer's office. She wasn't trying to avoid the conversation, but she didn't have any answers, and that bothered her.

"You ready to go look at the property?" her dad asked as they reached them.

Usagi and her mother both nodded.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
The place needed a bit of work. Not only did the roof need to be repaired, but there was an issue with the pipes in the kitchen and it appeared an animal of some sort had created a nest in the laundry room, having broken through a low window. The inspector said the wires were in good condition and completely up to code, the insulation was well done, and the foundation was level. The problems that did exist were easily solved according to her father and Mamoru, so instead of worrying about them, Usagi and her mother linked arms and explored.

The building had once been used not only as a dojo, but apparently at one time it had housed a small college dormitory. Old furniture filled the attic and the basement and included several miniature refrigerators, bunk beds, desks, and long tables. Six empty classrooms sat at the rear of the building where there was a second entrance from another street.

Usagi looked through the massive, industrial kitchen and the huge dining hall, her mind conjuring images of huge dinner parties where all her friends and family could come together. There were several large round tables, surrounded by hard plastic chairs. A few had broken legs, but most of them were whole.

They found their way into what must have once been a library which held dozens and dozens of tall metal shelves built right into the walls. Layers of dust lay on the shelves and the old checkout counter. Cobwebs hung from the corners of the ceiling and she worried there might be real webs with terrifying spiders.

There were several small offices behind the library, along the front of the building. The main entrance had a wide lobby with stairs going up on either side. Beyond that was the dojo with a door that opened to the street. That room was huge as well, and had been divided by a low wall into two sections. A small office stood on the far end of that, light coming through the crooked blinds illuminating the dust in the air.

"This place is much bigger than I thought it would be," Usagi admitted. "Even with twelve of us, a lot of the space would go unused."

Her mother snorted. "I imagine you'll be singing a different tune soon enough," she said, grinning. "Teenagers tend to spread out. A lot."

They went back into the front entry way and carefully made their way up the steps. There was an old elevator but they decided not to try using it until they knew for sure it was safe. On the left side of the hall they opened a door into a spacious apartment with two bedrooms, a formal sitting area, a small kitchen, and a large bathroom. The whole place was wide open and filled with light.

"Wow," Ikuko breathed. "I can imagine this place full of furniture. You could put a little dining area here, and the entertainment system over here. There's even room for a small fountain and some plants," she enthused. "This place is gorgeous.

Usagi nodded, but didn't say anything. She had a feeling that this little apartment was meant for her parents, and that perhaps it was why her father had wanted to go with Mamoru. Staying out of that type of decision for the moment, she simply followed her mother around as she looked through the bedrooms and the bathroom, then explored the kitchen, which was open to the rest of the living area, divided by a long counter with bright blue tiles. It really was a bright, open space.

They moved out of the apartment and across to the right side of the hall, passing a set of stairs leading to the third floor. The rest of the floor was divided into four dormitory type bedrooms and two large communal bathrooms. They were large with wide windows, each with a small balcony that reminded Usagi of her old room. Each dorm was about half again as big as her old bedroom had been, which meant if necessary two people could share the space.

When they finally reached the third floor they found ten more large dorm rooms and two more communal bathrooms. Again each room had a small balcony with large windows that shed bright light into the living space. The forth floor was nearly identical, though instead of the two extra bedrooms beyond the stairs, there was a large recreation area with an old couch and a broken pool table.

They barely glanced in the attic before making their way back down the stairs and outside. On the left of the building was a garden plot and a small koi pond with a little bridge meandering over it. There were several large trees and bushes that still held spring flowers. To the other side was a pool, hidden by a cover that was locked down tight.

"Mom, seriously, this place is huge!" Usagi whispered. "We haven't even looked in the basement yet, but Mamoru said it was a finished basement, which means there is a bunch more space down there. This used to be a college or something. What would we do with all that space?"

Ikuko laughed. "Well, where do you meet for strategy and training sessions?" she asked.

"The command center. It's under the arcade, which means milkshakes and videogames," Usagi said enthusiastically.

"Where do you train?"

"Local parks, or behind the Shrine."

"Hmm," Ikuko said noncommittally. "I think it's a good investment. From what I understand, you could run a business, you could do all of your planning, some of your training, and live all in one place. Besides, I've got my eye on that apartment upstairs."

"Do you really think that's what daddy is planning?"

Ikuko smiled and patted her cheek. "Usagi, we aren't ready to let you go and be all grown up just yet. This would be a perfect stepping stone. And I would have so many teens underfoot," she grinned and hugged herself happily. Usagi could picture her running herd on all of them easily.

"It's just a lot to take in," Usagi admitted.

"It is. But it would give us the chance to help you. I've had my worries about you for a while now, but knowing who you kids are and what you do, how can we not support you? Besides, if I know your father, there's only one reason he agreed to let Mamoru date you." She winked.

Usagi groaned. "You don't think he really asked him do you?"

The happy giggle startled her. "No, I think Mamoru did. I have never seen your father so pleased, or confused as he was that morning. Right after you left he started whistling that wedding march they play."

Usagi groaned again and slapped her forehead. "Are the two of them conspiring?"

"Of course they are!" her mother said, and wrapped an arm around her waist. "They're men! They probably have your whole life planned.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
As they rode back to Mamoru's place, Usagi thought about everything her mother had said and wondered if the building would be perfect after all. She wasn't really ready to leave her parents just yet, and while they needed their own space, Tsukino Ikuko was the ultimate mother hen. She thought it would work well to have them in the building while the teens learned to spread their wings.

Her father and Mamoru had talked to a few contractors while they'd been busy looking around, and it sounded as though they were both thrilled with the building, and especially the price, as no one had wanted to purchase the property. Usagi thought it would be a beautiful space once it was cleaned up a bit.

Thankfully the drive was short, as the traffic was heavy, which wasn't good for Usagi's stomach. She never did well with stop and go traffic, preferring to walk. They pulled into the parking garage and Mamoru came to the back to open her door for her. She grinned up at him and he bent to give her a kiss.

She wasn't sure she believed he had really talked to her father about marrying her. That wasn't something she was ready to handle. Her birthday was just around the corner. Her fifteenth birthday. Far too young to be thinking about wedding bells. By sheer force of will she pushed the thought out of her mind. Surely her mother was just teasing her.

Several patrols had already checked in by the time they got up to Mamoru's apartment. Shingo and Haruki had already returned and several of the others had joined them. Within minutes of their arrival the apartment had filled up, until there was hardly room to sit. Talk turned almost immediately to their next move.

Usagi sighed as she listened to Rei and Jadeite discussing how best to keep her family protected. It made her sad, and a bit angry, that it was forced to be a topic of discussion at all. In spite of that, she was grateful that her friends had her back. They wouldn't let the Negaverse trash just walk in and hurt them. Still, it concerned her that her presence might bring more destruction down on them. 

Eventually the discussion turned to patrols. "I think we need to reconsider our plans," Minako said, looking around the room. "We need to have overlapping patrols, and we need a better system for finding escaped Youma and detecting anyone with ties to the Negaverse."

"We also need to figure out how the dark general got into my house and make a plan to save him." Usagi said, worrying her bottom lip with her teeth. She was more concerned about that than the patrols.

Kunzite coughed and leaned forward on the couch, resting his elbows on his knees as he met her gaze. "Usagi," he said in what was probably meant to be a soothing tone, "I don't think he can be saved."

"Why not?" Usagi felt like she was burning up from the inside out as anger and frustration filled her. "I saved all of you."

"He's different," Kunzite said.

"How? How is he different from any of you?" Usagi frowned.

"Because he's Beryl's brother."

There was a rushing sound in her ears. She stared hard at Kunzite and then turned her head to peer at Nephrite, who stood behind one of the chairs, looking nervous. Zoicite and Jadeite both held up their hands and backed away, not saying anything.

"Beryl's brother?" she swallowed hard. Her mind whirled with the new information, unable to process it. She hadn't known Beryl had a brother. No one had ever mentioned it before. And just because he was her brother, did that automatically mean he couldn't be saved? Somewhere, in the deepest part of her heart, she even held out hope that Beryl could be saved somehow. Was it possible she couldn't save everyone?

"Beryl's brother. Both in our last life, and in this one. Sort of the anti Usagi-Shingo."

"But why does that mean we can't save him?" Usagi asked, and was startled to realize she was crying. It seemed these days anything could make her cry.

She felt arms go around her and realized Rei was at her side, hugging her close. She leaned her head on the priestess' shoulder and took comfort. If she and Rei could be friends again, the surely she could save the poor man.

"What's his name?" she asked, swallowing around a lump in her throat.

"Agate."

"And are there any more Dark Generals I should know about?" she asked.

"Not that we know of," Jadeite said, moving closer. "Agate is the one who took us from the orphanage. He was rather angry when Beryl wanted to turn Rei," he added.

"Is there no hope for him?" Rei asked.

"If I'm being completely honest, I don't think there is," Kunzite said.

"Well, if anyone can do it, Usagi can," Mamoru said from behind her. She turned and met his gaze. His trust in her shone out through his eyes and she smiled, a grain of hope returning.

"Alright," Minako said. "We will try to work out a plan to kidnap and save Agate, but we also need to find the Outer Senshi."

Usagi suddenly thought about the concert she and Mamoru had attended and the two young musicians they had met. She'd dreamed of them. She remembered their faces, though not what they'd been doing. But she also remembered they were wearing Senshi fuku. "I think I know where two of them can be found," she said after a moment of silence.

As she explained her theory, the others listened with rapt attention, but her own mind was wandering. She stared at the people she loved so dearly and wondered if she would be their doom. Her presence undermined their safety. A heavy sigh wanted to escape but she held it in. This wasn't going to work. Something had to change.

**Author's Note:**

> Author's Note: Japanese schools run six days a week, but for this story it will be five.


End file.
